PZ 
3 

.H 1 745 



FT MEPDE 
GenCol 1 




AV 

ts A y — ^ ^ ^ ^- 

_ * Vi V AV-s&i y ^ .//'>*-. ^ 

■w '■-^ VJ ^ 

^f ’> 



vO o 



% A' 

J *3 ^ VK 

Z tvxwv 


Ku 9 ' ^ \V 

V<^ 0 ^ V V' v' 

. ''r. '^, w. ^ . 



r* a'^' 
</* \V 


A’ ^ V 

■ :7 ^ c 

% " 



* ^ o A ' ^ . 

"O ^ ^ v'^ . s 

c»^ . ''o_ **' 

ij- —T^'CV ^ 

■ .. c 






A* * ^fi/% o 




^ A" 





0 


■^o o"^ . , 


i\y t/> ^ o v-'S o % 7 /^ 

n" . 0^' 

/<t» \ “ 

r- ,v, <v 

° \V o 

'lA' '^A --^ o 


A' 

= xO 


c° ''0^ V 

\\ < - 

»^M&: 

:> ^ 0 O 


0 N 


xo°^. 

,0^ NX ^ ^ 0 A \' . 

‘ z 'A'^ “ 

V? '^' 

> s" Y 

. '^ T' ■J^df///^ 'f 

kT 


^ : .vO 


'l * c 


0 

<S' ^ 


" .0“' V^ 




-il 1 * 

. -r 

r>. . 



'o^> < 

z.A^ 





„v i<- ,> 

\ ^ '^J> .-(^ 


' •''' 

rv y 

-^- ■“ o ■’ '''^ 

v * 0 ^ 

k Z » ^-^'J,J^ - A- Y « ■» <■ . -?■'. 

'«.,>.•* .A O '■z 

c"-^ '^b. , 

■lI^ X ^/YT^ ^ 

'P a\ ^ c^5v^\A^l'^ * *^ ^^({'//yt^ ^ 

<I " Jv-XTv 





xO 0 

•** 

( 

0 


>- 

> 

{ 

-0 1 


AV 


o'^ 

NX ^ 0 / 


b 

T- <? c:n 

r-. 




V , 




<•“•-% c?t' - bi: • V " ■ ' >' .A, 

'. “be,' :^»'- ■'’•z / .‘ Ja 













f 


\ 

\: 




( 



< A ' 



• 1 



) 









*» 


r 

r.l 


r< 


\ 

V 

N V 






« 



\ 









TOM HENRY OF 
WAHOO COUNTY 


A Story of the Ozarks 


By WILLIAM H. HAMBY 


Drawings by SEARS GALLAGHER 


Philadelphia 

THE WESTMINSTER PRESS 
1911 








\ 


y.. 


:A- : ■ 
'■^y- y% 


"V , ,' \' 

- V , . 




,:\ 


v-^ 


Copyright, 1911 

By The Trustees of the Presbyterian Board of Publication and 
Sabbath-School Work. 



Headquarters : Philadelphia 

New York Chicago St. Louis San Francisco 
Nashville Pittsburgh Cincinnati 




©CI.A292940 


tlfst Uta^iirUtQ rrttir mlin 
ifi ttaner aatiafi^b mitlii itt- 
ferior mark, tJiia ItttU book 
ia 0rattfuUt| b^biratfb V V 










9 . 




w 


‘ c 

rf 








i 


' i 








K-iv 

■ >' .-^ 


/ 


;e',‘- 


' ;r'.f;'V'' ( / , . 

ilMI'V 







INTRODUCTION 


There are many splendid young fellows 
in this country who hammer their way to 
success without ever stopping to inquire 
whether or not they have a chance. Of 
these, none I have ever known, are more 
manly and lovable than the “hill boys” of 
the Ozark Mountains. Many of them who 
started in life with nothing — not even an 
opportunity — ^have by courage and patience 
and faith and everlasting grit, won useful 
and honorable places for themselves in the 
world. “Tom Henry” was one of these; 
and if the reader gets a fraction of the 
pleasure from his acquaintance that the 
author has, all concerned will be happy. 

W. H. H. 


5 


I 


i 


1 

I 




TOM HENRY OF WAHOO 
COUNTY 


CHAPTER I 

T homas hendeeson black 

stretched his legs in front of him 
and leaned his back against the 
warm straw. Protected from the north 
wind by the straw stack, he lazily enjoyed 
the comfort of the March sunshine. 

Thomas Henderson, called by everyone 
except himself, Tom Henry, was tall for 
his age, and slender for any age. He had 
a high, peaked head and hair the color of 
dead broom grass. His eyes were pale 
blue, the color of skim milk, the eyes that 
indicate extreme dullness or a touch of 
genius. In his case it was genius, for he 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


had both a vivid imagination and strong 
power of reasoning. 

It was his task this afternoon to reason, 
to think, to plan. There was a great mat- 
ter to he settled. He was fifteen and had 
not yet chosen a career ; he believed it was 
time, and went at it in earnest. His pro- 
fession, he felt, was a mere matter of choice. 
He was confident he could succeed in any 
of them, and it would not be much of a 
job either. 

He might be a doctor. It would take 
some time, of course, and a little study — 
oh, considerable, perhaps. And when he 
came back he would be so young people 
would be afraid to trust him. But one day 
as he rode along a mother would rush out 
of a house beside the road weeping and 
wringing her hands, implore him to come 
in and save her little girl — four of the best 
doctors in the county had given her up 
to die. He would go in, leisurely lay his 
hat on the table, glance at the child, order a 
glass of water and prepare a dose of a 
8 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


medicine which he had discovered himself. 
In ten minutes the child would be sleeping, 
the next day out at play. His name would 
be on every tongue; patients would flock 
to him; his fame would spread and he 

would be called to New York — and 

Then again he might be a railroad presi- 
dent. It would be necessary to begin as 
agent — perhaps at Sarvis Point. Thinking 
he was a green hand, they would get their 
fastest operator to have some fun with 
him. The fellow would send a five-hun- 
dred-word message just as fast as he pos- 
sibly could. When he finished, Thomas 
would ask: “What makes you so slow? 
Have you the cramp this morning ? ’ ’ Then 
he would fire the answer back at them so 
fast that none of them could touch it. The 
superintendent would hear of it, and make 
him dispatcher. The next year he would 
he superintendent; and two years later the 
papers would say, “The youngest railroad 
president in the world is Thomas Hender- 
son Black of the P. & I.” 


9 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


He might be a soldier, or sailor, or mer- 
chant, or editor. In each of these callings 
he followed himself to swift and certain 
renown. It was so easy to succeed in any 
of them — in the imagination. 

But after all he came back to the one 
thing his mind had dwelt on most persist- 
ently, and definitely decided on that. He 
would be an orator. 

He got up, brushed the straw from his 
clothes and swung off across the field to- 
ward the house. The chill of winter was 
still in the sharp wind, hut the sun prom- 
ised spring. The robins had come, and 
the trees looked reddish brown. Thomas 
was scarcely conscious that his feet touched 
earth. It was such a relief to have it all 
settled, and already his mind was soaring 
on the wings of his future greatness. 

A half hour later his mother found him 
in the library with all sorts of books piled 
around him, rapidly running over the titles. 

“Why, Tom Henry, what are you 
doing?’' 


10 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


“Just looking,” he answered evasively. 

He was hunting a book on oratory. Di- 
rectly he found what he wanted, an an- 
cient copy of Bronson’s “Elocution,” 
seven hundred pages of fine print. He 
hugged it under his arm and slipped up- 
stairs to his room. 

Immediately he began to practice the 
twenty-four different ways to say “0” 
which the author had laid down. Di- 
rectly his “O’s” and “0 — O’s” and “00 
— 00 ’s” oozed out and downstairs. His 
mother came running up and called : 

“Tom, Tom Henry, what is the matter? 
Are you ill?” 

“N-o-ooh,” he answered disgustedly. 

The next day he thought it time to 
begin a speech. The district school 
was out, and the farm work had not 
begun actively yet, so he had considerable 
leisure. 

He got pretty blue over that speech be- 
fore it was finished. It was hard work. It 
brought the sweat more than once, and at 
11 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


that time Thomas was not overfond of 
sweat. 

Saturday morning he started to the 
woods pasture. It was warm now, the 
wind from the south and the sun exhilarat- 
ing. A butterfly flew in front of him, and 
a lizard scurried in the leaves beside the 
road, both signs of spring. But Tom 
Henry was not happy. He did not know 
how that speech would sound. He had 
never so much as recited a piece in school, 
and it embarrassed him even to think of 
making a speech to the woods. 

He got on one stump, but it did not suit 
him; he tried another, but it was too close 
to the road; he perched upon a third, and 
cleared his throat to begin. At the first 
word his voice seared him and he stopped. 
“Oh, shucks,” he said impatiently. 
“Thomas Henderson, what makes you 
such a fool?” Then he struck out bravely, 
accompanying his words with energetic, but 
wild gestures. 

Suddenly he stopped and listened. Some 
12 


TOM HENKY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


one was passing along the road, singing. 
It was Allie Trosper — no other girl had 
such a clear voice. 

Tom Henry jumped off the stump and 
cut diagonally across the woods to inter- 
cept her. He would tell her about it; he 
wanted his plan kept secret, for he intended 
to hurst suddenly upon the community a 
renowned orator, but she would not tell. 

He was sitting on the fence as though 
hy accident when she came by with a bas- 
ket in one hand, her bonnet in the other. 
Allie was a girl who wore her bonnet mostly 
in her hand, for she was afraid of neither 
freckles nor tan, and loved the feel of the 
wind and sun on her face. Perhaps that 
was why her hair was so ruddy and her 
eyes so bright and brown. 

“Good morning, Allie,” said the boy. 

“Good morning, Tom.” She looked up. 

He got off the fence and walked with 
her toward the store. 

“You know what I am going to be?” 
he asked. 


13 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“A great, tall, gawky man, I guess,” she 
answered, with a mischievous twinkle. 

He was vexed. It was that about Allie 
he did not like ; she was smart and friendly, 
hut was always saying things like that. 

“What are you going to be, Tom'?” she 
asked, seeing he was vexed. 

“An orator,” he answered roundly. 
Then he told her all about his plans, and 
ended with, “I am going to sway people,” 
— he swung his arms broadly — “move them 
as the wind does the wheat.” 

She dodged. “You will mow them down 
like the wheat if you are not careful with 
your arms,” she laughed. 

He was vexed again. It was not a 
laughing matter. She did not seem nearly 
so earnest and enthusiastic as she ought. 
Yet she coaxed him to say his speech to 
her. She sat on a flat rock near where the 
branch crossed the road, and he stood on 
the bank above. 

There were many halts in the speech, 
many flounders, many repetitions ; and 
14 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Tom’s face was red with embarrassment, 
but he went through with it. 

“It is real good, Tom,” she said when 
he finished, “just fine for the first time.” 

He bade her a quick, curt “good morn- 
ing,” and turned off through the woods. 
“The first time! The first time!” he kept 
repeating. His face burned with shame 
that he had ever tried to speak it to a girl ; 
of course she would not understand. 

He felt wretched, horribly wretched. 
The truth was, he knew the speech was a 
failure — it was no speech at all. He had 
worked hard on it, almost a week! He 
could not speak; he could never be an 
orator. 

Tom stayed in the woods most of the 
morning, wrestling with the first bitter 
disappointment of his career. When youth, 
full of eagerness and faith and imagination, 
first discovers that things cannot be accom- 
plished by a wave of the hand or a nod 
of the head, it is likely to become very de- 
spondent. 


15 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 

It was so with Thomas. He crept back 
to the house, stole up to his room and 
looked through that seven-hundred-page 
elocution. “I can’t do it,” he said; “I’ll 
have to be something else.” 

But there was one good thing about Tom 
Henry ; no matter how easy a thing looked 
at first nor how hard it later proved to be, 
once begun, there was something in him 
that would not let him quit. That some- 
thing had hold now. “Oh, you foolish 
Thomas Henderson,” he abused himself, 
“you think you can do things in a day. 
You think you are smart, but you aren’t. 
You’ve got to do it, though.” 

When his despondency had worn off a 
little, he decided to go over and talk to 
Uncle Billy Houck about it. Billy was his 
uncle only by friendship, as he was to 
everybody else, especially the boys around 
Buckeye Bridge. 

The next evening he crossed the fields 
to Uncle Billy’s. The farmer was at the 
barn, feeding, and when he was done they 
16 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


sat on the wood pile by the gate, for he 
saw the boy had something particular to 
ask. 

“Mr. Houck,” Tom began, “if a fellow 
wanted to be an orator, what ought he to do 
first?” 

“I reckon,” said Billy thoughtfully, 
“the first thing would be to get the embar- 
rassment rubbed off. ’ ’ Mr. Houck was not 
a scholar, but he had lots of common sense. 

“How would he do that?” asked the boy. 

“Oh, speak pieces at school, and take 
part in debates, and the like. Fellow can’t 
say much at first — gets shaky in the legs, 
but if he keeps on trying, he gets better.” 

“I am going to be an orator.” Tom 
made the announcement definitely. 

“Well, it’ll take a heap of hard work,” 
said Uncle Billy. “But if you are a real 
genuine good one, there’s not a great sight 
of competition. Lots of fellows think they 
are orators. There is old Josh Bradley” — 
Billy chuckled — “thinks he is an orator and 
always takes up everybody’s time at any 
2 17 


TOM HENBY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


public meeting tryin’ to get other folks to 
think so. And that little lawyer at Sarvis 
Point thinks he’s an orator, but he’s not; 
he ’s just the mouthpiece for noise. 

“My idee of an orator,” continued Billy, 
“is a fellow that knows somethin’ to say 
and has some way of makin’ the people 
listen to it and understand it.” 

When Tom rose to go, Mr. Houck re- 
marked, “I reckon if you want to make a 
start, we can work you in on the debate 
over at the schoolhouse a week from Friday 
night.” 

“I wish you would.” Tom was de- 
lighted. 

The next day he received notice that he 
was chosen as the first speaker on the affirm- 
ative for the debate, and the subject was: 

“Eesolved: That water is more destruc- 
tive to life and property than fire.” 

It was to be the last session of the de- 
bating society for the season and a big 
crowd would be present. And he, Thomas 
Henderson Black, was chosen the first 
18 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


speaker! Jimmy Burns was the first on 
the list of speakers for the other side. 

At once Tom Henry’s imagination be- 
gan to soar. What a victory he would win ! 
How he would astonish them! And Allie 
Trosper would be there. 


19 


CHAPTER II 


F riday evening Tom Henry finished 
his chores in nervous haste. It was 
scarcely dark when he started to the 
debate. By the path across the ridge it 
was only a mile to the schoolhouse. He 
walked through the woods as though in an 
enchanted land. 

It was a quiet, warm night for March, 
and the moon shone softly through a 
smoky haze. The air was laden with the 
smell of burning leaves ; and the fragrance 
of burning leaves always stirred Tom’s 
imagination. It called up pictures of In- 
dian signal fires on distant hills; of camp 
fires around which sat swarthy Spaniards, 
who centuries ago explored the Ozark 
hills ; and, too, his fancy saw in the light 
of later camp fires his own grim country- 
men in hurried preparation for the battles 
of Wilson’s Creek and Pea Ridge. 

20 


TOM HENBY OF WAHOO COUNT'ir 


But he brought himself back from ro- 
mantic speculation with a jerk. “Look 
here, Thomas Henderson” — ^in addressing 
himself he never spoke aloud, but the 
words were as distinct in his mind as 
though uttered to some one else — “you’ve 
other business to-night than cavorting 
around in the past.” 

Therewith he began once more to go 
carefully over liis speech. It was a won- 
derful speech. He began with the flood 
and described all the great water disasters 
of the world’s history. The argument 
closed with two striking word pictures ; one, 
a ship with all hands going down at sea; 
the other, the breaking of the dikes of Hol- 
land. 

Tom Henry glowed with pride as he 
thought what a sensation that speech 
would make. How the enemy would be 
stampeded — Jimmy Burns especially would 
be swallowed up in defeat; the audience 
would cheer wildly. And Allie Trosper 
would be there. 


21 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


He skipped along the woods path and 
swung his arms in exultation. 

As he approached, four streams of light 
poured out through the windows on each 
side and touched the trees and underbrush 
that came close around the little school- 
house. 

The crowd was already gathering. In 
the yard some young folks had started a 
game of snap, but Tom was too serious 
for amusement this evening, and went on 
in. There were several young people in- 
side, and three or four old men sat by the 
door, discussing corn-planting. 

“Hello, To mm y’’ — it was Uncle Josh 
Bradley, who thought he was an orator — 
“I hear you been chose this time.” Tom 
nodded modestly. “Well, a feller’s got to 
begin some time. The greenness has got to 
be wore otf if you are ever goin’ to learn 
to speak in public. I remember the first 
time I ever made a speech” 

Tom hurried on to the front. “The 
greenness wore off, ’ ’ indeed ! Did that ig- 
- 22 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


norant old fellow imagine his begin- 
ning was anything like what Thomas 
Henderson Black’s was to bel Well, he 
would see. 

It was, indeed, a large crowd that gath- 
ered. Everybody in the district, both old 
and young, who ever went anywhere at 
night was there. Tom’s heart pounded 
with excitement as he looked over the audi- 
ence. Every seat was filled and many stood 
around the walls. 

A thrill of pride passed over Tom when 
the captain of the affirmative side, George 
Jones, came and sat down beside him for 
a few minutes ’ consultation. Allie Trosper 
was looking, too. 

The president of the debating society 
called the house to order; three judges 
were appointed and given front seats ; and 
the secretary called the first captain, 
George Jones, to introduce the debate. 

He did little more than state the ques- 
tion, “Eesolved: That water is more de- 
structive to life and property than fire.” 

23 


TOM HENET OP WAHOO COUNTY 


The captain of the negative side was then 
called, and he, too, made, only a few “scat- 
tering remarks.” 

Even these Tom Henry did not hear, for 
the blood was pounding deafeningly in his 
ears. The next time would be his, his, his ! 
He swallowed desperately; his throat was 
as dry as the skin of a gourd. 

“The next speaker, on the affirmative,” 
the secretary was reading, “is Tom Henry 
Black.” 

Somehow — ^just how he never knew — 
Tom got out of his seat and was before 
the audience; it was the stillest crowd he 
ever had seen, and he wondered vaguely if 
they had not all died and were not sitting 
up stiff in their seats. 

“Honor — hem” He cleared his 

throat and tried it again. “Honorable 
ladies, judges and gentlemen — ^honorable 

judges” There he stuck until he 

counted thirty thumps of his heart. He 
braced his knees and made another des- 
perate effort: “There was the flood 

24 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


“And there she stuck,” said Jimmy 
Burns in a loud, mocking whisper. The 
girl beside him tittered, and a sup- 
pressed wave of merriment passed partly 
over the audience, but it was quickly 
checked, for the people believed in en- 
couraging beginners; the boy must have a 
show. 

This insult from the enemy cleared Tom’s 
mind. He began in earnest, talking very 
rapidly, excitedly. Several times he for- 
got; several times he repeated; once or 
twice he got seared again, and his knees 
grew weak and his voice got husky. But 
some way he went through with it, closing 
with a description of the breaking of the 
dikes in Holland — the people happy in their 
homes, the mad sea rushing in — darkness, 
water and death. 

There was very hearty, very spontaneous 
clapping of hands and stamping of feet 
when Tom sat down, but it brought only 
partial comfort to him, for he was already 
remembering that some of the best parts 
25 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


of liis speech had been left out; and his 
face burned at the thought of the many 
blunders he had made. 

Jimmy Burns was the next speaker. 
Jimmy was about Tom’s age, a round- 
faced, black-haired, young fellow; rather 
handsome and self-assured — always at his 
ease. He could talk along smoothly 
whether he had anything to say or not ; in 
fact, the less he had to say the better it was 
for him, for facts bothered him. 

“Honorable judges, ladies and gentle- 
men,” he began glibly, “I can’t make a 
flowery speech like my opponent^ — but I 
want to give you a few facts. 

“He spoke of the flood that drowned 
thousands of people ; hut he did not tell you 
of the Day of Judgment when the whole 
world is to he burned up.” There were 
cheers from his side; and he continued his 
speech in this strain for ten or fifteen min- 
utes, then closed with this: 

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, take his 
greatest example, the breaking of the dikes 
26 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


in Holland. That was terrible, more ter- 
rible than my opponent pictured. Tens of 
thousands lost their lives. 

“But did he tell you why the dikes 
broke?” Jimmy raised his voice to a 
shout. “No. Why didn’t he?” then his 
voice dropped to the confidential. “Be- 
cause they burned in two.” 

That captured the crowd. Even those 
who knew better joined in the laugh, and 
Jimmy sat down amidst tumultous ap- 
plause. 

One after the other the rest of the speak- 
ers made their arguments, but Tom Henry 
heard none of them. At last the debate 
closed. The judges conferred among them- 
selves a few minutes, then passed up a slip 
of paper to the chairman, who arose and 
announced : 

“Two votes for the negative, one for the 
afiirmative.” 

The society adjourned. Tom Henry 
slipped hurriedly through the crowd toward 
the door, looking neither to the right nor the 
27 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


left, hoping to get out unnoticed. But old 
J osh Bradley was right by the door. 

“Done pnrty well for the first time, 
Tommy,” he said, then added, with a 
chuckle: “But Jimmy Burns shore got 
you on that Holland business. He’s right, 
too, them dikes did burn. Jimmy’s a 
mighty smart hoy — wouldn’t surprise me 
to see him go to the legislature some day. 
The next time you try to make a speech. 

Tommy” But Tom Henry did not wait 

for the advice; he could stand no more. 
Out into the night he dodged, walked quickly 
to the cover of the woods, and ran — ran 
desperately until out of hearing of the 
noisy, dispersing crowd. 

For days Tom Henry went around in 
the deepest gloom. He shrank from any 
mention of the debate ; it hurt him even to 
think of it; and more than once he ex- 
claimed, “Oh, you fool, Thomas Hender- 
son!” 

But defeat is a relative thing after all. 
When we fail to accomplish as much as we 
28 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


hoped, we often feel we are defeated, al- 
though others look upon our accomplish- 
ment as a victory. It was true of Tom 
Henry’s speech. 

One morning as he came down the lane 
with the cows he met Allie Trosper. For 
two weeks he had dodged her, but now they 
must meet face to face. He tried to pass 
by on the other side of the road, indiffer- 
ently striking the corners of the rail fence 
with a switch. 

“Tom you just did finely,” the girl said. 

“Humph!” he responded dubiously, 
waiting to see if she were only teasing — 
but she looked serious. 

“You made the best argument that was 
made, and your side ought to have been 
given the decision.” 

Tom wanted very much to believe it, but 
it was hard to do. Nevertheless as he went 
on he began to whistle, and the world looked 
considerably more springlike. 

Two days later he met Uncle Billy 
Houck. 


29 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“Well, Tom, you fooled them — did me, 
anyway. That was a real good speech. I 
was proud of you.” 

“I didn’t think so,” said the boy, dig- 
ging his heels into the ground; “I thought 
I failed.” 

“Oh, no, you didn’t. Wasn’t perfect, of 
course — be a long time before you are — 
but it had sense in it, and you said it like 
you meant it. ’ ’ 

“Uncle Billy,” Tom spoke with some em- 
barrassment, “to tell you the truth, I was 
pretty badly out of heart over that speech. 
But I am not going to give it up. I am 
going to be an orator; and I am going to 
the legislature.” 

Mr. Houck squinted his left eye thought- 
fully at the boy for a minute and smiled at 
his earnestness. 

“I reckon you can do it, Tom Henry — 
if you work hard enough and long enough. 
You’re no fool, Tommy, but you got to work 
hard and take lots of knocks, and not get 
out of heart every time you bump into 

30 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


something that don’t feel like a feather 
bed.” 

“I won’t,” promised the boy, and added 
wisely, “I have learned better.” 

“And, Tommy,” said Uncle Billy as he 
started on, “if you ever do go to the leg- 
islature, go honest.” 

“I will.” The boy’s voice rang with 
genuine conviction. 

Up on the ridge on a log in the woods 
Tom Henry thought out his career more 
definitely. He saw now that it could not 
be done in a day or a week; he saw he 
would fail many times. But he could and 
he would do it. 

He got up and dug a hole in the side 
of the big oak with his knife, slipped a piece 
of paper in, and then plugged up the hole. 
On the paper was written : 

“I WILL be representative of Wahoo County. 

“Thomas Henderson Black.” 

Corn-planting began next week, and 
from then until the middle of June he had 
31 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


little time for oratory, except to call out 
“Gee” and “Haw” to his plow team. 

Anyway he needed new books. A teacher 
of elocution, who gave an entertainment at 
Buckeye Bridge, told him that Bronson’s 
“Elocution” was entirely out of date, and 
suggested the names of two works that were 
modern. But these cost money, and Tom 
Henry did not have any, and would not 
ask his father for it. 

Friday evening Mr. Black sent Tom 
Henry down to Buckeye Bridge for the 
mail. It was a little after sundown 
when he reached town, and as usual 
in the cool of the evening there was a 
string of loafers sitting on the edge of 
the platform in front of Newton’s hard- 
ware store. 

As Tom was passing, Jim Davis mo- 
tioned to him. He turned aside and ap- 
proached the group with a little misgiving, 
for he saw lurking grins on the faces of 
some of the boys and men. 

“Mr. Black,” began Jim very solemnly, 
32 




JEST WANTED TO ASK YOU TO INTRODUCE A BILL FOR ME 




TOM HENKY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“I jest wanted to ask you to introduce a 
bill for me. ’ ’ 

“Introduce a bill?” Tom did not imder- 
stand. 

“Yes,’' said Jim, “in the legislature, 
you know. I want you to pass a law 
to make the weeds quit growing in my 
corn.” 

There was a loud and general laugh at 
this, and Tom Henry turned away quickly, 
his face burning, and hurried to the post 
office. There among the rest of the mail 
were seven comic post cards all addressed 
to “Hon. Thomas Henderson Black of 
Wahoo County.” 

Tom started home mortified and filled 
with wrath. How in the world did they 
know? He had never mentioned his am- 
bition to anyone except Uncle Billy and 
Allie, and he knew neither of them had 
told. Directly it occurred to him that some 
one in passing through the woods might 
have noticed the scar on the tree and dug 
out his resolution. 


33 


TOM HENEY OE WAHOO COUNTY 


“Well, let them laugh,” he said to him- 
self vehemently. “I am going to do it in 
spite of forty rods of grins. I will be 
representative of Wahoo County.” 


34 



\ 


7 y 


SELECTED ANOTHER TREE 


CHAPTER III 


T he next day Tom Henry went to the 
big oak on the ridge. Sure enough, 
the boys had discovered his written 
declaration. Doubtless they had noticed 
the scar on the tree and dug out the slip 
of paper. 

He went into the thickest part of the 
woods, selected another tree, dug a hole 
in it with his knife, and inserted another 
slip of paper on which was written : 

WILL be representative of Wahoo County, even 
if the whole world is against me. 

“Thomas Henderson Black.^^ 

And Tom felt for several weeks as if 
the whole world were against him. Of 
course, the story of the treed resolutions 
got out, and the jibes and ridicule were 
almost unbearable. Criticism cut him 
deeply, but to be laughed at was torture. 
35 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


For a long time he would go a half mile 
out of the way to avoid meeting anyone. 
When he was compelled to pass near where 
people stood talking he hummed loudly to 
himself that he might not hear their com- 
ments. Laughter came to he a horrible 
sound to him, and he could feel a grin a 
quarter of a mile. 

But through all of his suffering his 
resolution did not break. His spirits 
got low, hut his courage held on. Still 
it grew very lonesome, dodging every- 
body; and he felt discouraged because he 
was making no advance in the study of 
oratory. 

Tuesday evening, when the chores were 
done, he went across the meadows to Uncle 
Billy Houck’s. He never laughed at a fel- 
low, or, if he did, it never hurt, for he al- 
ways understood. 

Uncle Billy was on the porch, for it was 
a warm August evening. 

“Why, howdy. Tommy, howdy?” he 
greeted the boy cordially, took his feet off 

36 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


a chair and pushed it toward him. 
“Haven’t seen you for quite a spell.” 

“No,” said Tom Henry, “I’ve been 
pretty close at home.” 

Uncle Billy chuckled softly — ^understand- 
ingly; and somehow Thomas joined in, a 
little ruefully. But already things looked 
better. 

“I heard about that, Tommy,” said Mr. 
Houck. “I’ve laughed about it a good 
deal. You see, a fellow’s plans, whether 
good or bad, are mighty likely to leak out 
sooner or later ; you can’t bottle them up so 
tight but they ’ll get out. 

“And, Tommy, I wouldn’t let their 
laughing bother me a bit. The better a 
fellow’s plans are, the surer somebody is 
to try to poke fun at him about them. They 
don’t mean any particular harm. They 
just think because a fellow is a boy that big 
ideas in his head look funny. 

“But they don’t. They are mighty en- 
couraging, and don’t you let anything peo- 
ple say or think keep you from sticking to 
37 


TOM HENET OF WAHOO COUNTY 


a good plan. Only be sure the plan is al- 
ways something good, for if it isn’t right, 
sooner or later the thing will go to pieces, 
and it will cost him more money or health 
or reputation than it comes to.” 

For an hour they had a good visit, and 
things cleared up wonderfully for Tom 
Henry. As he rose to go, Mr. Houck said : 

“By the way. Tommy, I have been getting 
some new books; if there is any of them 
you want to borrow, take ’em along. Come 
in and see.” 

They went in, and the very first books 
he saw on the shelf (and practically the 
only new ones, if he had noticed) were the 
two volumes on elocution and oratory that 
he had so much wanted. 

“Just what I need,” he said happily. 
“May I really take them?” 

“Sure,” answered Mr. Houck. “You 
see, Tom Henry,” he said apologetically, 
“I’m a little interested in oratory myself; 
although I’m no speaker.” 

“Uncle Billy,” said Thomas warmly, 

38 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“there isn’t anybody in Wahoo County that 
can half come up to you when you really 
get started on a speech.” 

“Oh, pshaw, Tommy,” said Uncle Billy 
deprecatingly. “Just wait till you get 
through school, and we’ll hear some speak- 
ing such as you read about. I reckon you 
are going to the academy this fall 1 ’ ’ 

“Why — I’d” He really had not 

thought of it. “I’d like to — but I ’most 
know father won’t send me.” 

“Maybe he will. I’d ask him, anyway. 
Tell him what you want to do — tell him 
all about it.” 

Tom Henry went away with a new am- 
bition. If he only could go to the academy ! 
Wouldn’t it be fine! He could study any- 
thing he wanted; and he could have a 
teacher in oratory, too. Before he reached 
home he had resolved to ask his father to 
let him go; he would speak to him about 
it right away. 

But it was easier to resolve than to do. 
Mr. Black was a man of few words, ex- 
39 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


act in his dealings with all men and rigid 
in his rules for his son. Tom seldom of- 
fered any suggestions about the work, hut 
followed his father’s directions without 
comment. Mr. Black rarely discussed any 
affairs wuth the boy; and Tom had never 
told his father any of the things that went 
on in his mind — hopes, plans, ambitions. 

But having once resolved to ask to go to 
the academy, he would ask it, though it 
wrung from him every grain of his courage. 

They had been loading hay. The hired 
man was on the load, and Mr. Black and 
Tom Henry walked behind the wagon on 
the way to the barn. 

“Father” — he gulped and his voice 
sounded shaky — “can’t I go to the acad- 
emy this fall!” 

“The academy!” The tone was quick 
and sharp, and he turned curiously to his 
son. “What for?” Mr. Black was not an 
educated man, and presumably not in sym- 
pathy with education above the common 
schools. 


40 






2.) 7^ '' .i* '■ fmL'* i 

Ut • •' » i k B>»T ? J^’ .M ’'. 




k s: 


.. /. • .s! ■''*•' - ••. ' .V f -’ 

J ^ A » • . • * , — ' V ■ '>,*•.,»*■'• L , 

■'•■■• • V . ■•■■ '■ ''■■■ * •■' ■ ' ■ . ■ 

/V - r'; ‘‘: ■' !.j ■ , ..- 

5‘ . • . r. i'.; ' ’ 


* * 






\ ♦ .V 


. >•* ' 


. /- 


Jf 




• I 


«• •.'Jr'. 


il 


•s. I'- i ; 

-• -** 




a 


. / 


r* • A'\ ^ . 

-y '•* 7 

*'' V' 

..) . •>* - -y i* .* • . 
- J *^*.1 ■-; 

^ ‘i » w 


. ■ ■ ■s-^' k: 


I ' 


■. 


% . 



: I r.' 

j • # . • > 






•'» . 

-'•> 


\^'-r \ 

» ■ • .j 


1 1 


». 


■ -'‘T 

•»» ‘ * 

■w • 


A , 


• T 
K ■ 




f 


t •. ► . » 
« 


/ t » *i 

• /'• "'V ■! 


vt * 


V /. • / . ‘ • . 

f . -■• »• 

V ’ - 


\*f 


• “iVi? 


^ .) 


'• I 




I • 


•A - , 

♦ * 

■ ' 'I V* ' 
« *. 1 . 




■ ■ ‘V’ - '^ •' :■ ’■ 

;v;; - 

, ! ' 

■ .N , V 

, ‘}w. <•-' 

-'jr ’■' ^ ? i -* . 



V . 


j r 

’■ • 

■r 


t -• 

» 






tlf 

'i 




’ ■' • 

ViJ. 

:■>?. 




♦ » 


hi ' 

* •' t * 


t • , 

'• 1 

* . \ 

.s •■' ^ 

‘ (. 


.. 4 


f 


Y’’" ■ ' • 

• > -r. V 


M : 


r ^ 


. » 



gr v , K; -. , 
■■■ 


V’ 


.1 


<■';•■; .. ( 


«k • 


V. 


V- ( 


• *»<i**’ 


• , v ’ 


r » ^ # 


* n . ' 


• *'• 


< « 


*» • • 


I 


I 


' \ 

* 


• r • . \ 

»* -♦ 


■b- 




t ^ 


'• • • . > « 

u* . 


,'1 


i 


T> 


^V* 'I .• 

r' ' A 
’HiT ' "-'• 




• t 


^ * 

r. 




• V T 


k . t 


V. • 


> . 


'J, , 




1 


/''•V -. v.\ »►’•• 

l‘ _ , i - 

i 


' >/• ^ 

■ ♦« T '*' t 

A-'* • 


^ 4 


?: 


I . •■■ h: 


, ^ 


V- 


' •> ■ ■ 
X'/ - ^ 



la 



■ -i y 


I « 


M 


f I 


' '''i 


;A. 


I ' 


>.- 


4» 


S ' 

. » 


C 

k r 

t " 


• m 

I ► • 



' *■ » 


* <• 
i • ' 




♦V 


.tV 


^ ✓ 

i' • '■ .• 






> 


\ 


■- 1.7 T 


* ^ • 


& ? • . 




^ - V • 

C ' I I 


• •* 

is-:-'. ■ 


• , ^ 

•> 4 ‘i 





/ 


4 - 

t * 

. ♦ * » 


>,v 


^ % 




. . a, 


ff fy \:- ,. 




;'\i' 


^ , 


I ■■ 


, -I :'y ■ ■ 

\W^ 




• *' V 


i 



t. 


V . ,. 





^ A*- ‘X-’* 

V/ > '• 


^ ' ■?. j ^ 


$ 

'.*■ • 




i • 


»> 

A. r 




.'s ' ■' 

I* • 


■• X. V' '*; .-■i;-:,^^'^ I.’ -1 



'* 

*V 


•. *. •.. . 


■•'•At V 


•• ■ jj/ . 

. r ■ ‘ . AV 

' - . 1. I - . . ■‘_ 1 


f .»• ■ • > V:. *1 

\a. \ .? •. 


* r< . ' ■ '-i 

t . r 


. . -f 
j ^ ' • 


. ■ I 

I . 




• Ni/ >^V 





y y y 


c c i 


I AVANT TO BE A SCHOLAR AND AN ORATOR 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


‘ ‘ To learn, ’ ’ answered Tom, getting a lit- 
tle courage. “I want to go awful bad, 
father. I want to be a scholar and an ora- 
tor. I’m going to be representative of 
Wahoo County.” 

Mr. Black made no reply ; but he did not 
laugh a cutting laugh as he sometimes did, 
for which the boy was thankful. 

Not a word more was said about the mat- 
ter until the first Friday in September. 

“You got all the clothes you need!” 
asked the father at breakfast. 

“What for!” asked Tom, a faint hope 
suddenly flickering in his mind. 

“For the academy,” answered Mr. 
Black. “You start in the morning for 
Slayton. ’ ’ 

For a minute everything swam before 
Tom’s eyes. He attem.pted to swallow a 
few more bites of breakfast, pushed back 
his chair and went out. To Slayton ! The 
biggest and best academy in that section of 
the state! At most Tom had only hoped 
for the little academy at Sarvis Point. Al- 

41 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


most before he knew it, be was in the road 
started for Mr. Trosper’s. He must tell 
Allie — she would be glad. 

A horse came galloping down the road. 
The rider — it was Jimmy Burns — drew 
rein, flushed and exultant. 

“Good-by, Tom Henry.” He spoke in 
a friendly but patronizing tone. 

“Going somewhere!” asked Tom. 

“Start in the morning for the academy 
at Slayton,” he answered proudly. “See 
you again Christmas.” 

“See me before then I guess,” Thomas 
grinned. “I’m going too.” 

“Good,” exclaimed Jimmy heartily. The 
boys shook hands warmly, all past rivalry 
forgotten in their mutual good fortune. 

“I am glad for you, Tom Henry,” said 
Allie when she heard the news. She was 
on the porch shelling beans for dinner and 
olfered Tom a chair. “I know you will 
succeed, for you learn so fast.” Her eyes 
were bright with sincerity. 

“When are you going, Allie!” he asked. 

42 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“I don’t know, Tom.” Her face clouded. 
“Father is not able to send me this 
year. I may have to teach first — ^but I am 
going.” 

“Allie,” he said very soberly, “I am 
going to tell you something. I mean to go 
to the legislature as representative of Wa- 
hoo County.” 

She laughed at his extreme seriousness; 
but it was a sympathetic laugh, for she, 
too, had ambitions. 

“I believe you can, Tom — even go to Con- 
gress if you stick to it. ’ ’ 

“Stick to it? Why, I’ll stick to it so 
tight you couldn’t knock me loose with a 
persimmon pole.” 

They both laughed, and Tom rose to go. 
There was much to do. They shook hands. 

“I hope you can go to the Academy, next 
year,” said Tom, “and that I will be there 
too.” 

He looked back from a rise in the road, 
and she waved to him. 

“I am going to stick to it,” he said, and 

43 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


skipped down the road exultantly. ‘ ‘ Thomas 
Henderson, you are a lucky fellow. ’ ’ 

The second day Tom Henry was at the 
academy he was walking up the gravel path 
toward the side entrance of the main build- 
ing. Two young fellows wearing fash- 
ionably loud clothes came just behind him. 

“What do you say it is?” asked one. 

“I don’t know,” replied the other, “un- 
less it is a young camel.” 

“Might be,” assented the other, “only 
its hump is on top of its head.” 

“Hadn’t we better run it out?” asked 
the first. “Might gnaw the trees, you 
know.” 

Tom Henry’s teeth went together in a 
way that threatened to break the crowns, 
and his hand clinched. He never had 
wanted so badly to fight in his life. But he 
had great respect for school discipline, and 
a fight meant expulsion. 

And that was not all — ^nor even the worst. 
Some of the girls openly tittered every time 
he passed through the hall or down an 

44 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


aisle ; and there was much uproarious 
laughter as he passed groups of students, 
and he knew it was meant for him. 

Now, Tom Henry to the casual observer 
was not much to look at — or rather was 
a good deal. There were two ways of 
looking at him; if one understood and ap- 
preciated his genius, he was an exceedingly 
interesting fellow to observe; but if one 
judged, as appearances might permit, that 
he was a simpleton, then he was a most 
comical spectacle. His clothes were ‘‘back- 
woodsey, ’ ’ and his tall, peaked head merely 
furnished a starting point for his dead- 
broom-grass hair which under no circum- 
stances would lie down. His pale blue eyes 
were not reassuring; and his sensitiveness 
made him awkward. 

Jimmy Burns, on the other hand, was 
a favorite from the first hour; and seeing 
the general fun poked at Tom, he rather 
avoided the society of his friend. 

The third evening, horribly lonesome, 
smarting under repeated ridicule, home- 
45 


TOM HENKY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


sick to the core, Tom Henry sat by the win- 
dow in his room and fought it out. Every 
instinct said, “Go home; try some other 
school; don’t go to any.” 

But that grip away down somewhere got 
hold. He rose up and folded his arms and 
paced the room. “Oh, run, will you?” he 
said, with scorn. “You coward! Thomas 
Henderson Black, stop your whimpering 
and get down to business. You are going 
to stick to it if it takes all the grit you can 
muster. For I am going to be an orator; 
and I am going to the legislature.” 


46 


CHAPTER IV 


B y the end of the first week most of 
the students had stopped grinning 
at the tall, lean fellow from Wahoo 
County ; before the second had passed they 
were watching him with interest ; and 
when the first monthly grades were given 
out, Thomas Henderson Black was consid- 
ered a marvel, by the entire academy. His 
fierce zeal, added to his natural quickness, 
had accomplished wonders, and he had won 
the highest grade in his class. 

But if the growing respect, even admira- 
tion, of his fellow-students made it pleas- 
anter for Tom in one way, he was much 
disappointed in another. The department 
of oratory was not at all what he had ex- 
pected — in fact, it was merely a class in 
elocution, taught by a woman. At that 
time Tom Henry did not have a very high 
estimate of a woman’s speaking ability. 
47 


TOM HBNBY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Moreover, this class was a part of the regu- 
lar course, and only third or fourth-year 
students were allowed to join it. So even 
if he had wished, Tom Henry could not have 
entered the class, for he was only a fresh- 
man. 

Nevertheless, he did not allow his de- 
termination to wane, hut evenings, as his 
roommate said, not only made Rome howl, 
but caused the whole Comanche tribe to 
blush for shame that they ever tried to yell. 

Tom’s idea of oratory, like that of most 
beginners, was the tripping, tinkling, round, 
roaring, soaring sort; the kind that floats 
on flowery beds of metaphor. He wrote 
several speeches of this variety, contain- 
ing more and louder figures than there were 
in the wall paper of his room — and that was 
a great many. He memorized these “ora- 
tions” and practiced speaking them. 

Before the winter passed Tom Henry 
was considered, by all his teachers and 
most of the students, the most promising 
pupil in school. Besides having thoroughly 
48 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 

prepared lessons, he had such an original 
way of getting at things and telling them 
that, when it was his turn to recite, the en- 
tire class listened. 

There was a literary society which met 
every week, and Tom, like most of the stu- 
dents, attended, but he had never taken 
part. He wanted to, but while he had a 
very high opinion of his own ability, he 
was really very modest about letting any- 
one know it, and shrank from even hint- 
ing for a place on the programme. The 
committee usually made up the entertain- 
ments from volunteers, and hence Tom 
Henry’s name had never appeared on the 
list of talent. 

But one week in April, when the commit- 
tee was having trouble to secure enough 
material, Tom’s roommate suggested to one 
of the members : 

“If you want something that will take 
the roof off and loosen up the foundation, 
ask that long, keen fellow from Wahoo 
County. ’ ’ 


4 


49 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


The committee did, and it was announced 
in chapel, along with the rest of the pro- 
gramme, that on next Friday evening there 
would be an oration by Thomas Henderson 
Black. 

Partly because of real interest, and 
partly from curiosity, that announcement 
drew the biggest crowd the literary society 
had had that season. So great was the 
crowd that a hundred extra chairs had to 
be brought in to seat the people. 

Tom Henry was scared at first, but so 
thoroughly had he drilled himself, that his 
tongue and vocal chords went on with the 
speech until his mind had time to shake 
itself loose from embarrassment and catch 
up. Then he spoke with zeal, and when 
he finished there was a most enthusiastic 
outburst of applause. 

After the society closed, scores of peo- 
ple congratulated him — even the president 
of the academy shook hands with him and 
told him the address was good. 

Thomas went out into the night tingling 

50 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


with the glory of achievement. He walked 
past his boarding house, feeling too good 
to go in, and went on toward the edge of 
town. It was a fine April night ; the moon- 
light was soft and the south wind warm. 
His mind was soaring in a haze of glory. 
He wondered what the Slayton papers 
would say about that speech; wondered if 
the city papers would not take it up, and 
Thomas Henderson Black become known 
everywhere as the marvelous young orator. 

When he came to the end of the walk 
he went into the road — Tom always liked 
the feel of dirt under his feet anyway. Still 
building air castles, he passed out of town 
and to where the road turned sharply down 
a hill into the woods. 

He stopped to listen. From the valley 
below came snatches of song, broken by 
occasional calls and hoots. There were 
three or four in the company, and they 
came up the road laughing and singing up- 
roariously. Tom hesitated, on the point of 
turning back, but decided to go on. 

51 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Halfway down the hill he met them 
— four academy boys. One was Jimmy 
Burns. 

“Hello, Tommy, hello,” and Jimmy 
slapped him warmly on the back. They 
had been friendly, but not intimate, and 
Tom felt a little surprise. “Boys,” 
Jimmy waved his hand to the other three, 
“you know my friend here — the — the moon- 
fixer. Say, isn’t that good, the moonfixer? 
Boys, shake hands with my friend the moon- 
fixer. ’ ’ 

With a shock Tom realized that they were 
all intoxicated. It meant expulsion if it 
became known, for the academy rules were 
very strict. 

Hoping to get them to go quietly home, 
Tom turned and went back to town with 
them. But as they neared town the boys 
grew more noisy, and the thought oc- 
curred to him, “Suppose I am caught with 
them!” Still he did not desert them. If 
he could only separate them they would 
quiet down. 


52 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Putting his arm through Jimmy’s he 
drew him hack a little behind the rest. 

“Say, Jimmy,” Tom said in an under- 
tone, “I have something special to tell you. 
Let us turn here.” He turned Jimmy at 
the corner and called to those ahead : 
“Good night hoys. We go this way.” 
And before they had time to offer much 
protest, he was hurrying the intoxi- 
cated young man toward his boarding 
house. 

Jimmy stayed at a private house, and 
when they got to the gate Tom saw the 
lights were bright and a number of peo- 
ple were in the front room. They would 
be sure to discover Jim’s condition. 

“Let us go to my room,” Tom Henry 
said. “I can tell it better there.” 

They got in quietly and Tom began to 
breathe more easily. Jimmy could walk 
fairly straight, and if he would only keep 
quiet he could pull him through. But half- 
way up the stairs Jimmy paused, threw up 
his arms and yelled in a blood-curdling key : 

53 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


‘ ‘ Whoo— ah ! Whoo— ah ! Wh-o-o !— 

Whoopee ! ’ ’ 

Tom went cold from shoes to hat. He 
boarded with a severe old Scotchman who 
never in the world would forgive such an 
outbreak. He jerked Jimmy roughly up 
the stairs. 

“Shut up,” he ordered severely as he 
shoved him into a chair. 

“Now whatch you want t’ tell me?” said 
Burns thickly. 

“I want to tell you, Jimmy, that you are 
drunk and making a fool of yourself. If 
anybody discovers it, you will be expelled 
and sent home disgraced.” 

That rather sobered the young fellow. 

“I’m not drunk. Tommy,” he pleaded. 
“You won’t tell, will you?” 

“I won’t need to,” said Tom impatiently. 
“That yell a while ago will tell the whole 
block.” 

He was even then waiting with anxiety 
the arrival of his landlord. There had 
been steps in the hall right after Jimmy’s 

64 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


outbreak, and be felt sure the old man 
would be up in a few minutes and order 
them both out. 

But he did not come, and Jimmy Burns, 
thoroughly sober next morning, was very 
penitent and grateful. He had not meant 
to get drunk, he said. 

“It is mighty bad staff,” admonished 
Tom, and Jimmy agreed. 

They thought the matter was safely 
passed, but the next afternoon the prin- 
cipal sent for the four boys — and Tom 
Henry. One of the boys had, on return- 
ing to town that night, gone to a restaurant 
and raised a disturbance. He was re- 
ported to the school authorities, and con- 
fessed, giving the names of those out with 
him, and including Thomas Henderson 
Black. 

The principal, on hearing Thomas ’ state- 
ment of his connection with the affair, 
asked the other boys if it was true. 

“Yes,” spoke up Jimmy Burns quickly, 
“it is. Anything he says is true.” 

55 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Tom gave him a grateful glance as the 
principal excused him from the room. 

The four guilty ones begged so hard not 
to be sent home that the principal inflicted 
other and very severe punishments — ^not 
the least of which was to require each 
of the hoys to stand up before all the 
school and beg the pardon of their fellow- 
students for bringing disgrace upon the 
academy. 

When Tom went home at the close of the 
spring term his father had evidently heard 
things that pleased him for he said at sup- 
per the first evening : 

“Well, Tom Henry, if you get in a good 
summer’s work we’ll send you back again 
next fall.” 

Tom did get in a good summer’s work — 
working hard with his hands and in the 
clouds with his head. He put up almost 
as many castles in the air as he did hay- 
cocks in the field. 

He spent many evenings on Billy Houck’s 
porch. 


56 





' ■ •... -f -, ■ J‘ V“ t 

, 4 • • • j ^ ~I 5 " . j 4 » ‘ 1 . 


‘J* 


/ 

.M r 


•• •*’T ’-’• 

*' f » : ' # 

V-? • • " 


.. . 


♦ ^ 
' » 


I Y ^ » 




• 


X 






■ Jr..:.'*-' .>r'f*-W 

>*' V. ■'•■ -. , v •• ‘■-r', ’.•■-' ■ ■ 

I ' ’ - ^ 1 — f ‘ v* k 

* fc « w • • 




"‘J ‘iM 




•^ 1 ‘w •# 

‘. * » J •■ ' ‘.A ^ 

' V 


V 4 ; 


■j 


f . ,. ’• i ' 


* ' f V > . •' •*'“TCW'^’ 



n. 




9 : > 

>* 


K.TJ 


.•« „ 


- %. 




i -' • "ti 

i ■ , ■ 

•^‘ “ "• ; •,. , V «' 


•I 


\ 


r S- ’ ^ 

-fc r - 

"V -'*• 



■ < " ' •• ’ V. ■ ■’• 

•‘- “^ y ': ‘ y- 


mM- 








' ^Vw 
. I 






• it - , 

yf: ;yi 

• r 


•V X 




, * 


- 1 


y." „ ,>.y‘. 


f m 

V. ♦ t 


i « .< 


. 4 


r^r- -J^'v 

u 


» > 


fe'. 


k 4 


v;-t> . c 


*-• V 




rf 


* ^ 


■/' 






- ‘ W ! 











< ' 




yv 


• ^ 


■‘ - 'I ■■ 



I ' ' » 

*• *• 



\ * \ *1 I ,» - , 'i . >• •>*!. * t r 

/v:V.' : / • 

> ‘'V ‘ i\ , »•»*.• •. VHi • . ' • <. •>w -.. • 


•, • y. • V‘ 


» » 
% 


• > •> 
• * » • 




.-'di 


A 



V » 


I •. 

I ^ 

fr ^ . 


. . n 


. . . • ■ 

V - • ' > 


^ ’-a; 


V ( 



i’ 




if 

■i.f . 


•■J 




■V . •- ■- 

■' ' - • 

. -s, V’. , • • 

■ ■ 


.v..y;«*\ 



j^!' ■. ^ ' 

a ' ' ' . 4: . 


.■^ i V‘ W 

■ ' vV ■ 


*tV V . 

V rwrv.v w.-.. V • 


> < 
• » 




. V- 


I .. 


• 4' • I 

^ V • 

\ ^ 


/N ;. ,v 

’ * ‘J •%■'■> j. ^ ' • .* * y 

. ■ 'p ' ■ .' ' .' • ■ ' 

• *'>’.’jj^‘ .;■ .• ' ' ‘ ■' ' /f ..■ ’ 'i- 

t ,» * 


'- , ■ *-* 


►> 

j -• 


' V i 


■ . ^ '^ : 4 r- >r*~ y' .r\ ^ Nimcjr=7r?v^; iW " .y-. '..-.'v ^ 'iv« 





•.. Pi .••’< 


U-»i 

•V 







yyx 4 ; 

1 y . ' 


S' 


/•-•v 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“I hear you just done fine, said Uncle 
Billy proudly. 

“Oh, I didn’t do so badly, I guess.” 

“Made a great speech, Jimmy Burns 
said.” 

“Jimmy didn’t hear it.” Tom laughed. 

“Says everybody talked about it,” per- 
sisted Mr. Houck. “You haven’t got the 
big head yet?” 

“Not that I know of. ’ ’ Tom was amused. 

“Well, you will have,” warned Uncle 
Billy. 

“Think so?” 

‘ ‘ Of course. Every bright young, fellow 
g’ets it — and some not so bright. It will 
strike you along about next year, and get 
to its worst about the time you graduate. 
It won’t hurt nothin’, though, unless it 
goes in on you when you begin to get over 
it.” 

“I don’t think I shall have it,” said, Tom 
positively. 

“You won’t know it.” Uncle Billy 
chuckled. “Josh Bradley has had it all his 

57 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


life and never did know it — nor nobody 
else knows what he has got it for.” 

“Well,”' confessed Tom, “when I am 
elected to the legislature I may have it a 
little bit.” 

“Most likely you’ll be all over it before 
you are elected.” A prophecy Tom after- 
wards remembered. 

The next year, passed swiftly with Tom 
Henry. He held his high standing in the 
school, and went even higher. 

The third year Allie Trosper entered. 
She was quite a young lady now, although 
a year younger than Tom. She was a girl 
of pleasing appearance, neat and tasteful 
in dress and quick in her studies. But there 
was a natural reserve about her which pre- 
vented her from winning the instant popu- 
larity that some girls do. She always 
made friends rather slowly, but her friends 
were very loyal. The first weeks would 
have been full of loneliness and homesick- 
ness had it not been for Tom, who was now 
the leader in everything at the academy. 

58 


Vf . 
t 



( I 


J 7 


SHE WAS QUITE A YOUNG LADY NOW 




•Vi 


.'i'X '-V. ':■■!!-■, 




• .; « 

k 


• } 


) . 


- t ' 

K 


-.r- 


.' y * - ^ ■ * ’’ ' i . 7 . ' . \ ^ \ -- ^ " 

•\"\ '/'C „.' *i>',-' '-/'• ' .-j^ v’;’ * 

•‘ . .• ."/^ V w* ^ •. ■ H' - ;*.W "*.L ':-^r ..>:•. . ^-S 

iS- ». • ^ • 9K **'».. L •••-^%/. - tv 


4 J 


s 




% 1 * 




ij'.. 


' » ■.- 


♦ 


r* -I,- 




*■> •» 
« 

' 


■•» • •■ 




»fc ' 




\ 


r'" ‘^. 

' k.j '•*'»■ 

. I , 9 ‘ 

f ►vi . ' • • •*' 


V 


» - V '. 


'• f ‘ 


r j V t» 


l4 •* t- 

V .'»>; 


.• '’“VJ-" 


v* 

V* ■' r - 


•i.-’-l-V • 

^ : 'V 


> t 
% * * 


•. # * • • ' . • , >• 


\r* 

•I 


X 

^il 


•< 

•f t 


v» 

« 

■ • 


r * 


**>v •» 

/ 




• i 


• i; • : V 


1 • 




c/- 


' A . . » 



r^l ’ 


#; 4 - 

?>•■ V^-'. 






• / •:^ 


* ^1 »»* ,. I, 

fi'" 


.•I- 




/ - k ,■ , ' 

^ H 
1 


/ fe 


'V : v.>:x .' ■ ' r-;. XT 

. K '* .• 

' •'' \ ' - • * • ‘ ^ 

I ■ ■ 


. '» ■ 


. ••/ * 




' V I "* , 


■*' ' • ;*' * * ' V * 

M • •,- ’ 

• ' • ' ■ ‘ ^ r-. 1 '/ r »• # • 

• -. ' - •■'••'■. 

' ft ^ A 


•■ ^■' Njr". 

f» . * 


4\ •> 

.:v» 


?uH 


1 


.r;>vx,^> ■ 




yft ^ l- **l ^ -“f 


* ' ^ t 

e ' 


''S' 


■v>:' 

■ ' '/'r *>y 

* ' V' •' • » .• 


’. * Im. 1 

A 


^ X 


■ ', I 

* . •. .y • 


V 


V' 


? 


.5 . . 


w*’. “ 


■*- 


. • 
.* 


,,A ' • >r:t 


«r ',ir<v 

,5i-. 

^ * ’ . • t* 

^ V.* >4' 

>. / <•- 


. r; *-M - t , I 


' r V- 

f I V .• • * • • . 


•H. ‘ . .. 


>. - V 


\ » 






r; • ■• 


( 


* r 


r 


* i . .Aft 




• V 


■■•I 


*• 


.• . ■ T ? 

l- ■ •• " ■ k'^ 

' K 

>><•. , , 

, - I 




f 
* .>» 


•V. .V* 




I 


* r> 


. 


» T 


V .*. 




In, . 

ft 

r. 


ft s 

•/ 


» ^ 


/ ■* « 

■ « 
I 




’>■' - 


MM -t . . ^ 

, f , r 


'A. ^ . 


( • 


j 

•* A 


. » 






I .,«•»''• 

.ft • • *••' • 'a.* 

t • ‘ft .'• .. •'* •> • '< 


/, 




^iJx ft *V' ** .11 

■' .• 

. * v« '*' . _ » 


s- 

1 •’ 


' \ 


' ft - 


i 

J 


. -r f 


'■;■ . . 


-i. 

* ' ^ 


,* .iy •;» 

!-M * * 


rs*t ^ ■’ rw - ■ ; . -• |i, '' ,.. •» I . I 

‘ V .. v . vV- 

•.v^: 

' '• • ' tJ ft ' . >' .- 


' N: 

.' ' 

i-xx 




-‘V*'"' - ■ , 


.: - • •.* V >» JL' . '. • . 

► ♦p *•.; **/ 

'•7 • .' ^ ' 'J'r • . : i\' 

^ .■' , . M < *! '’A » 

' . ‘ ■ • . ‘u.* " * ■ *: ♦ 


' ■ r.- - 


*.%■ 






‘ft'M 


I 


« . « 


■'X. . ' 


n 


I i 


nV] 




t .■ -' » 
.%> ■) 


• 4 ‘ . J 








»•* 


• ' I 




Aft 4 • r • 


' >• * 


, ft.: I-', t' ' i 

. • ^1 *4' Tr - ' ' 


I 


• ’V 

* /- ‘ 





• p. '‘v 7 . i ..• 

■irUX 'AX I 
'W-’v 




V - y/* 

■ 'k \: 

. ■; ; 


I ^ ^ . 




A «e 
7 A 


A . • 


. ', 'X 








. 'i‘t • ' 

:-.. • '.•ik '**• ‘ \ 

• ’ ■ ■ .*Mr ■>'‘v^-'.- 

- . . S" : ‘. » ; • 




, { : 




■>v. . 


« i 


\ » 


• . 

i. 



:s. 


> 


'< 0 . ■ ft »■ r , 

ft,;'.. .fii^ — , . A- ' 





* I « 



V:- 

^ . .\f 

.'^fftAV- . '••V' "I* 


i r^ 


r'- 


> * - 


■V 


* 


>'A» <*.-, 

K 



• \ • r ]• J 


* f 




i A 

- ■fiwK' ,.;. _1 .' .'A A ‘.M i :.' i 




: 7^; 

W . • X /- • sA * . « 


-•.7^!. y7. 


•v.'.v' ' 

■ Vrvj* X- iL. :■• •• 


V .1. .-i • 


f ft. : 


' * J 

* I i Lfti 


. » 




I ^ ^ — - » .-ftJTx».x.«.i , ... « 

i. ■7-'X M 


■•■ \il 





. I • ' 4 






TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


He came to see her often, introduced her 
to his friends and took her to entertain- 
ments. Many were the ardent discussions 
they had over problems that have puzzled 
philosophers for centuries. Altogether the 
year was very delightful to both of them. 

Allie did not come back the next year; 
she had to remain home and teach. 

Tom was graduated in June, valedic- 
torian of his class. Honors and attentions 
had been heaped upon him during his last 
year, and when he stood before the vast 
audience at commencement to deliver the 
valedictory he received almost an ovation. 
At the close of his address flowers were 
carried to him until he was nearly covered 
with them. 

Tom was nineteen the week before com- 
mencement. When all was over he pre- 
pared to return home, sad but hopeful. It 
had been four years of triumph — and vic- 
tory is always sweet, at least at the time. 
He had found keen delight in study, and 
felt that his time had been well improved. 

59 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Those who had laughed at his first appear- 
ance were now among his warmest friends. 
It was natural that thought of leaving it all 
made him sad. 

Yet as he thought of home he was filled 
with hope, for he would now enter real 
life, and triumph as he had in school. He 
did not hope that his father would send 
him to college. He would go some day, 
hut it must be after he had earned his own 
way. He would go home and in two years 
run for representative; and then while the 
legislature was not in session — it met only 
every other year — ^he would attend college, 
having the honor of being the youngest 
representative in the state. 

“Hello, Tom Henry” — ^he turned at the 
gate. It was Jimmy Burns. “Going home 
to-morrow?” 

“Yes, start at seven.” 

“So do I,” said Jimmy. “Great speech, 
that, old boy.” He extended his hand. 
Jimmy had been graduated second in the 
class. 


60 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“Thanks. What are you going to do 
now, Jimmy?” 

“I? Oh, I am going home to study law 
and in two years from now I will run for 
representative.” 

Tom Henry eyed him keenly an instant — 
he was in earnest — and turned thoughtfully 
into the house. 


61 


CHAPTER V 


T om henry was distinctly disap- 
pointed when he arrived home ; not 
at anything in particular, but just 
the atmosphere in general. It was a good 
deal cooler than it ought to he; surely his 
coming might have fanned the community 
into some sort of enthusiasm. The folks 
were right glad to see him, but somehow 
they did not seem to be properly impressed 
with the greatness he had achieved, nor to 
appreciate the distinction he had brought 
them in winning the highest honors in the 
academy. 

The attitude of most of the neighbors 
was pretty well expressed by old Josh 
Bradley. 

“Well, Tommy, you got through?” 
“Yes, I was valedictorian.” 

“You don’t say” — the old man scratched 
his ear. “That was real nice. Well, Tom 
62 


I 





^WELL, TOMMY^ YOU GOT THROUGH?^ 


Lk'WM 




/ 



*• 


T 



r*/ • » 

* *,< 

^ • 


i 


4 


s* 



I 


I 


J', 


■v r 

/ -iT. 7 

r’ • ^ , . 




. • *v-^- ,» J. 

V V v^V'* ’. V ' ' 


»*y 


•' •>.■* ! “• f 

' j 


: •» r • 

.• t 




-• I 


' •* ' *' ’i 


. » 

»' ». •■ . 



• » 


t. 

I 


I « 


t 



I 


» 

4 






L ' 




I 



k 


« 


I 


» 


\ 





I 



•« 


I 


% 


< 

V 


A 


f r 


J 


» ^ 
: ' 


% 


I 


I 



I 


I 


I*' 




1 



f 

i.4 


X I-..'' 

VV'd 

*t 


. V 



r 

k 


I 




I 

< 


"I 

t 


' ‘ » 

\ 


• I*-* 






S' . 


4 

5 



’ *• 
•« 



. V 


f 


« 

I 



• » ‘ 


« 

4 



. 5 

V • I 

1 • . 


I 




1 


4 




TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Henry, learnin’ is a real good thing if a 
feller makes good use of it. You don’t 
remember Alf Minor? No, that was be- 
fore your time. Alf was the smartest fel- 
ler that ever I see — graduated at all them 
institooshuns — learned all there was to be 
learned and then some. But when he got 
home he’d forgot how to work; and not 
findin’ any money lyin’ around loose, he 
forged a check, and had to skip out to keep 
from goin’ to jail.” 

“Guess I’ll not forge any checks,” said 
Thomas dryly. 

“Oh, no, I wasn’t meanin’ that. Tommy. 
I was just tellin’ you about Alf. He was 
the smartest feller I ever see — I” 

But Tom had engagements elsewhere and 
missed the rest of Alf’s smartness. 

Even Allie Trosper was a disappoint- 
ment to Tom. True, she looked very at- 
tractive and talked entertainingly as they 
sat in the hammock out under the yard trees. 
She had taught the winter before and was 
full of her experience in actual life work. 

63 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


But Thomas was not at all interested in 
school-teaching; to him her little country 
school seemed very insignificant. Yet 
after the first few minutes of congratula- 
tion and questions, she persisted in telling 
stories, amusing and touching, of her win- 
ter’s experience in teaching. 

When Tom went away he carried with 
him an indefinable but unpleasant sense of 
having been unappreciated, misunderstood, 
slighted. Allie was not at all the broad- 
visioned, ambitious, appreciative young 
woman he had fancied her. 

But in the general disappointment he held 
to one hope — ^when they heard him speak, 
things would change. Then they would 
see what he had accomplished, and under- 
stand his greatness. And that time would 
not be long, for he was advertised as the 
chief speaker at the Fourth-of-July cele- 
bration at Buckeye Bridge. 

Tom put a great deal of time on that 
speech, rolling in allusions and piling on 
flowers of speech until the constitution, the 
64 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


eagle and the flag were hopelessly smoth- 
ered. 

When the hour for Tom’s speech came 
there were several thousand people on the 
grounds, hut only four or five hundred 
around the speaker’s stand. 

For a minute Tom paused before the 
audience. From every part of the grounds 
came a babel of sound. The lemonade- 
venders, in shrill and competitive cries, 
urged the people to buy “lem-e-o, ice cold 
lem-e-o, five a glass”; the merry-go-round 
organ ground out a discordant and blatant 
tune; and the man with the doll rack in- 
sisted that the crowd should “knock ’em 
down, knock ’em down — three throws for 
a half-a-dime. ’ ’ 

Tom lifted his voice to its highest pitch 
and began to speak. For a little while he 
held them, and others began to gather 
around the edge of the crowd to listen for 
a few minutes. But directly these began 
to drop away, and then some who were 
seated rose and went out to mingle with 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


the crowd. Thomas saw he was losing his 
grip on the audience and threw into his 
speech his utmost force; but in spite of it 
they drifted away from him, and when he 
closed, not three hundred listeners re- 
mained. 

He slipped off the back of the platform, 
disgusted, sick with disappointment, and 
made his way out of the crowd. He took 
a path that led through the woods down 
to the creek. He wanted to escape the 
mocking call of the venders whose raucous 
oratory had outdrawn his; and the last 
thing he heard was the persistent cry ad- 
vising the crowd that right now was the 
time to buy it at five a glass, to go twenty- 
five times around for only a nickel, or to 
knock ’em down, three throws for a half-a- 
dime. 

Thomas sat on a log and dangled his 
feet over the water. Beneath him the lit- 
tle fish scurried here and there over the 
pebbles which gleamed in the clear, shallow 
stream. It was quiet and shady and still. 

66 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“They don’t appreciate you, Thomas 
Henderson,” he said to himself. “They 
can’t — that’s the size of it. You have out- 
grown them. A nickel or a dime or a side 
of bacon is all they can understand. ’ ’ 

It seemed quite clear now. They were 
ignorant, selfish, even jealous. They had 
no way of understanding real ability, and 
would not care for it even if they had. 
Well, he would have to go where he would 
be appreciated. But what would he do 
when he got there? 

During the next few days Mr. Black no- 
ticed Tom Henry’s restlessness, and knew 
he was dissatisfied with the farm. Through 
his influence, the bank of Buckeye Bridge, 
in which he held stock, offered Thomas the 
position of assistant cashier. 

The salary was not large, for the bank 
was a small institution, but the place would 
be preferable to what now seemed to Tom 
the drudgery of the farm. It was either 
accept this otfer or go out into the world 
and seek some community more apprecia- 
67 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


tive of his genius. He asked the directors 
of the bank for a few days in which to con- 
sider the offer. 

He would consult Allie Trosper. Even 
if she did not understand him fully, her 
judgment was good and she was interested 
in his success. 

Allie was attending a teachers’ institute 
at Buckeye Bridge. When the afternoon 
session adjourned Tom was waiting in the 
schoolhouse yard. They walked down the 
shaded road toward the bridge. 

“I haven’t seen you for quite a while, 
Tom ; thought maybe you were angry with 
me.” 

'‘No,” said Tom. “Allie, I want to ask 
your advice.” 

“All right,” she laughed. “That is one 
thing people are always willing to give.” 

“They have offered me the position of 
assistant cashier in the bank at forty dol- 
lars a month. Would you take it?” 

‘ ' Take it ? Indeed I would. ’ ’ 

“But, Allie,” he said warmly, “I don’t 
68 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


want to be a banker. I want^ — well, yon 
know what I expect to be. You can’t win 
fame as assistant in a little old bank.” 

“No, but you can make forty dollars a 
month,” sbe replied. 

“There it goes again!” be said disap- 
pointedly. “It is money, money, make 
money. Everybody thinks the only success 
is to make money. But I wouldn’t have 
thought it of you, Allie.” 

“It is not that, Tom” — she spoke sym- 
pathetically. “I know how you feel about 
it. Making money is not success, of course, 
but one has to start at something. I do 
not like to teach school for thirty-five dol- 
lars a month, but I must if I am to go to 
school and accomplish my purpose. 

“You are young, Tom”^ — he shrugged 
his shoulders, for he felt quite a man — ‘ ‘ and 
if you are going to college you will need 
to earn money to pay your way. If you 
are not going to college, you will have to 
find some sort of employment. I would 
take the place.” 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


The advice did not suit him exactly, and 
yet he knew it was sensible. After con- 
sulting Billy Houck also, he notified the 
bank of his acceptance, and began work the 
following Monday. 

Tom did his work faithfully and well; 
but during the succeeding months his spir- 
its ran down almost to zero. Writing 
names in ledgers and adding long columns 
of figures is not exhilarating work for the 
imagination, and Tom felt that his genius 
was being wasted. Outside, the world 
waited anxiously for the “greatest orator 
since Webster,” and here he was burying 
his talent for forty dollars a month. 

Yet the world did not call for him in 
any specific way — at least, he did not hear 
it if it did. A few times he was invited 
to deliver addresses at picnics or reunions, 
but still smarting under the memory of his 
Fourth-of-July experience he ungraciously 
refused. ' 

The following summer a local-option cam- 
paign was started. A special election was 
70 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


called to decide whether or not saloons 
should be permitted in the county. The 
temperance people planned a thorough and 
systematic campaign and needed all the 
workers they could get. 

Tom decided to enlist as one of the speak- 
ers. Although he and all his people were 
strictly temperate, he had no very positive 
convictions on the subject. Of course, he 
knew it would be best for the county to go 
“dry,” yet he did not feel profoundly the 
evil of the saloons. But it would be good 
practice — the temperance side of the argu- 
ment certainly offered a very attractive op- 
portunity for oratory. Moreover, it would 
give him a chance to get acquainted with 
the people, or rather, for them to get ac- 
quainted with him. And as the “drys” 
were expected to win by a large majority, 
it would put him on the popular side — 
thereby almost insuring the success of his 
ambitions for the next year. 

The committee was very glad to secure 
Tom Henry for the campaign and assigned 
71 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


him to speak at five or six of the best points 
in the county. 

With his usual thoroughness Tom pre- 
pared a very masterly, very ornate, very 
oratorical argument in behalf of temper- 
ance. 

At each appointment he had large crowds, 
for the people were much interested in the 
fight. At each place he was listened to at- 
tentively, cheered freely by the temperance 
people, and usually congratulated on his 
“fine talk.” 

The second evening on which he spoke, 
as he passed out, a man in front of him 
asked his companion what he thought of 
the “talk.” 

“All wind,” replied the other shortly. 

True, the fellow’s nose indicated a nat- 
ural bias against the temperance move- 
ment; but the remark hurt Tom. A great 
orator, he thought, convinced even the ene- 
mies of his cause. 

Tom’s pride was still further wounded 
a few evenings later. He had addressed 

72 




r 

i 


\ 


A 


t 




r 



'• i 


. * ^ ^ 




TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


with great force a large crowd at Sarvis 
Point, the largest town in the county. As 
he returned to his hotel he passed two men 
who stood on the street corner discussing 
the coming election. Both were ardent 
temperance men. 

“What did you think of the speech to- 
night?” he heard one of the men ask. 

“Oh, it did very well,” answered the 
other indifferently. “Sounded purty, but 
that kind don’t win votes.” 

And during those weeks the papers of 
the county had much to say in approval 
or disapproval of what certain speakers 
on both sides had said; but only once, and 
in a very minor way, was anything Tom 
Henry had said, quoted. 

But the deepest hurt came at the close 
of the campaign. The night before elec- 
tion the temperance forces united in a big 
rally at Buckeye Bridge, the county seat — 
but Tom was not on the list of speakers. 

The next day the county voted “wet.” 

“I don’t wonder at it,” said Tom in dis- 
73 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


ctissing it with Allie. “The temperance 
people haven’t any sense. They don’t 
stick together — they don’t know the differ- 
ence between good work and tomfoolery.” 

Then a little later he remarked bitterly; 

“Allie, isn’t it funny that when a fel- 
low does get up and get out of these back- 
woods and learns something the people 
haven’t any use for him? They want 
everybody to be as ignorant and shiftless 
as they are.” 

“Now, Tom,” protested Allie. 

“Well, you know it is so. Everybody 
used to be real friendly with me. I had 
lots of friends — or what I called friends — 
but now since I came hack from school they 
will hardly speak to me on the street.” 

“Look here, Tom, that won’t do.” Her 
eyes twinkled, but her voice was very seri- 
ous. “I see I must take you through a 
course of sprouts. You are about to get 
cynical, and nothing spoils one more quickly 
than that. 

“The trouble, my friend, is this,” she 

74 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


continued, with her remarkable directness 
in getting at the truth; “you expect to be 
a great man in the future and want the 
people to pay you for it in advance. Now 
I expect to be a university professor some 
day, but I ought not to abuse the Turkey 
Track district for not paying me two thou- 
sand dollars a year for what I am going to 
do. 

“It is not enough to be bright, Tom, nor 
to intend to do great things. We must 
not expect either pay or credit for what we 
intend to do. The world judges only by 
what we have actually done and are doing ; 
and even then it is often a year or two 
behind in paying up. 

“You will succeed, Tom” — his discour- 
aged look touched her — “but it will take 
time and patience. I have learned that 
much in trying to be a great teacher in one 
year. 

“And — Tom, one must not work solely 
for self — one can’t really succeed and leave 
God out. You must work for him and try 

75 


TOM HENKY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


to help the people instead of trying to get 
them to help you; then you may he great, 
really and truly, and you can always ask 
him for help.” 

As usual, Tom went away almost angry, 
whether at Allie or at himself he could not 
tell. Her words were a blow to his vanity, 
hut at the same time he knew they were 
true, and there was comfort and encourage- 
ment in them. 

He took a fresh grip on his courage, and 
definitely decided to make the race for 
representative next year, even if it did mean 
a bitter fight. 


76 






► • •^‘ ’ ' . ‘w ^, . '-./Vw ,/v * ■' v: 

■ ■■-'■--■ ■• •.^^■/■■' / ;\''^-ev’-;W:.A:# 

I* t^' 'V " ‘ " ' ■ ' * % ■ ■ • ’ ' ^ * . . -A' 


. ♦ « 


/ ' ^ 

I . ' • 1 *• 

* i •f*y»-.^ 

^‘ . .'^r< f , 

•'' J' 


' •’^V" 






.•‘f -..\''Vt* •■ 

'-t*. ‘ 


I 


i..:- 


'.^J; >Si; k*^-> 


# • 


. .^ • . -N 

• . 

J 


• V'-'irA 


• . . • ». 


* • . 

n 


> • " 


/ y- 


\ ^rvH 

r<yv« 


. ' ■ > :*--*^^ 


\ • 


;-• ;^r- V , 

• * • if . .. ' . 


« 

y. 



, . . -» • ir 

• . . }ii 




f . 


.". r 

« . 


■ 


. j t . • • , 7,j 

■ I j , 1 1 • ‘.w 1 

4 A ^ * ' • • ; 


: . ' r 


.W 




^v f * 

• . • * -»*- 


’ \i 


7^ .- * .’ ■ 


'c 

\ • ' 


• X ^ ^ # V ‘ 

.■: »■ - ' ' 

1 


y'^tt 

:\ 


i»' • 



v'- 


■-W. r*-* •>! 

A 1 > . * ' 


« 4 


• • */• • 

V - j v . « ■ • • v<i« V < 

r * ^ *• > • 

^ ^ • .* . .*?. • .-, * 

;*.*^ >V ' pU* "^'^. .*..>• y \, 

* V ; ' 


y. ^ % 

4 


•’-.v < -* • 

. . •;*.>: ‘ 

r: 


i ' ►'* V \ 


2 ' 




♦ ’ 


• • 


/r 




V 


•S- 


1 


'• * w ^ 

« . 




• ^ 


• V 

* 


' ii'.' 

- . 


‘ .V v‘ 

'sS ■; ' .'■ -': ~ :; ^ .1 W jy 
••- -•J'V ^;: ;, • ..‘ . :... 

• ' » V> ’ ■ ■ ■ ' 


\>> 

r< 




’%*• 

4' 


> * »• 


.t 




t» : 


s * 



• ) 


45^ 


■ ^■■'••^ ■■ •• 

. A'^,«VV 

1 \ ■ 


. ^, -17 

.SW 


. '•■ - /S 

' W 


f . 


. C\- 


* 

) • I 


i •'. 


■» ' ■ » . 

‘..V'^At V^ 

. ■ -» j »» t •* - v.i. 

■■^C^’ :--•-“ • ■i' 


• '♦ i; 

V. 


■ 




• 1 4i 


.# 


•V' 


V .v^’- 

rikd^ym':^ 


* 


> 

4 


t '■ 


« r 




u 

t*: 


! •:-' • 


k.-'* 






'.^: ‘i. 
* vV- • . 


« 


/ 


* .**'j *<. 
\ 


K 


J ^ 4 


■ t .1 


k • 


y • 

\ ^ 






,f ^ 

i.T. . 


V. i^-4 



• • 


r ^ ^ \ ' K* *' * 

' : -' ■•'■-■^ ' ■ • -‘i . 

';• .' ' S ^ ' 

* • . - .> . < . . • ' • ♦TT 

* • ''’>.» 1 f Jr 

. »r :• • 

v" :■ ^ 

/* .• ‘. - • -Sx '.V .. ^ , ,. • 


■**.t •. 






* • 


!»■ 


- , . < 
'/<'';■ •. 

, * r • ►V^ ’. 

ir./- - 


>> 


. ,ir,/’ - 
'»* V;V 
- .[*■ . 

'5£ 


V . 

\ 


'vf :■> , 

y . fc - ‘ M i 

.\r*^ f - : 





»L'* \ • 

t .' - '/ 


- \ 


4 < 


‘A-., 





> ’-4 • 


- V* M.- 

I ^ 


‘/••••A.'y ►■. ‘<5 ' ?<4- 

• W -<- ■ • '^ * k* '^ •*. 41 


i'* 

•K 




Lt 


C •■ 






. • 1 ■• . ■ } 

i5>* ; ; • 




. ■ 

.' ** ' ^ ■ 

t 


, '.'•■• *'V 

* v- " ■ •'■ .'■ 4 ,-> ■ ‘‘v. 

^ -i * y 1^ c* . 4 ' 

I _ 0 ' ^ 


N • 






/ -/ 



’’ ^ JIMMY ’WAS THE BETTER ^ MIXER 


1 )f 



CHAPTER VI 


E arly in June the “Buckeye Bridge 
Banner” printed at the head of its 
announcement column the following: 

We are authorized to announce James Sherman 
Burns as a candidate for the nomination to the office 
of representative of Wahoo County, subject to the 
will of the party convention. 
********** 
We are authorized to announce Thomas Hender- 
son Black as a candidate for the nomination to the 
office of representative of Wahoo County, subject to 
the will of the party convention. 

There were no other candidates for this 
office, and both young men being from the 
same town and of the same party and both 
considered good speakers, it was expected 
that the contest would be interesting. 

Jimmy was the better “mixer,” but Tom 
was the more brilliant. Since graduation 
the young men had become intimate friends. 
77 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


Jimmy was studying law in the office of an 
attorney at Buckeye Bridge, and Tom was 
still in the bank. 

Although the rivalry grew very sharp as 
the campaign progressed, they kept their 
tempers and remained friendly to the end. 

Jimmy took the contest much the more 
light-heartedly. To Tom it was a very 
vital matter. Victory in the convention 
meant election, and that meant the begin- 
ning of his career. In the state legislature 
his ability would surely be recognized; his 
name would become a household word 
throughout the state, and — once more his 
dreams were sun-tinted. 

There was no certainty of his nomina- 
tion, however; and the mere thought of 
failure always brought out a clammy sweat. 

As the convention drew near Thomas felt 
sure of five of the thirteen townships, pretty 
sure of one other and had hopes of more. 
Warren, the largest township in the county, 
was in doubt. George Hibbard, the leader, 
was friendly to both, but made no promises. 

78 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Tom, however, felt secretly confident he 
would get this vote, for Hibbard had been 
one of the temperance leaders in the local- 
option fight. 

At last the day arrived. The conven- 
tion was to be held at Buckeye Bridge, and 
both the young candidates were out early, 
welcoming the delegates as they arrived. 

Jimmy, round and ruddy-faced, went 
about greeting the men with a cordial grip 
and a friendly slap on the back. Tom 
Henry, tall, solemn, dignified, nervous, 
moved about among the groups gathered in 
the courthouse yard, consulting his friends 
and soliciting more votes. 

In the morning the convention merely or- 
ganized and appointed committees, and 
then adjourned until after dinner. 

At one-thirty the members met again, 
heard the reports of the committees and 
proceeded to nominate a county ticket. 

“Nominations for representative are 
now in order, ’ ’ announced the chairman. 

In a glowing speech Sam Bartlett, of 
79 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Sarvis Point, put Thomas Henderson 
Black in nomination. In an equally glow- 
ing speech Dick Murphy, of Boone, pre- 
sented the name of James Sherman Burns. 

‘ ‘ The roll of townships will now he 
called,” announced the chairman. 

Each township was entitled to a certain 
number of delegates; these delegates were 
seated in a group so they might consult as 
to how they should vote. When they had 
decided and the name of the township was 
called a leader rose and announced the 
vote. 

“Adair,” called the clerk. 

“Ten for Burns,” announced the leader. 

“Benson,” called the clerk. 

“Nine for Black,” was the answer. 

“Georgetown.” 

“Eight for Burns, nine for Black.” 

As the vote was being cast, Tom Henry 
sat in the hack of the hall, his heart beat- 
ing like the chug, chug of a gasoline en- 
gine. Against his knee was a slip of paper 
on which he was keeping hurried tally. 

80 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 

Now Burns was four ahead, then Black 
six. Burns was seven ahead, then Black 
two. Now they were even. 

“Osage,” called the clerk. 

“Six for Burns, ten for Black.” 

Toni’s paper swam before his eyes; that 
put him four ahead, and only one more 
town — a “dry” township at that. 

“Warren,” called the clerk. 

George Hibbard arose to announce the 
vote. The convention was very still. 
Tom’s heart quit heating and he bit the 
blood from his lip. 

“Fifteen” — Hibbard paused — “for 
Burns, four for Black.” 

A few minutes later, when Jimmy Burns 
had delivered his speech of thanks, there 
were calls for the defeated candidate, but 
Tom Henry could not be found. 
*****###* 

The next evening Tom sat on the porch 
with Billy Houck. Even in the twilight 
Uncle Billy could see a look on the young 
man’s face he did not like. 


6 


81 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“What disgusts me most,” said Tom 
bitterly, “is the temperance crowd. After 
all I did for them, to throw me down like 
that! For a whisky man, too.” 

“Tom,” asked Mr. Houck deliberately, 
“why did you go into that local-option 
fight?” 

“Why, becanse” He paused; he 

had started to say because he wanted tem- 
perance to win; but Tom was honest with 
himself when brought face to face with the 
real issue. “Because — well, I guess the 
main reason was that I wanted to make 
speeches. ’ ’ 

“I reckon that was it,” Billy nodded. 
“And when a fellow makes speeches, or 
does anything else just for glory, that’s 
about all he is likely to get out of it — and 
not much of that. 

“You see, Tom, it is just like this: You 
went into that campaign without earing 
very much about temperance, or temper- 
ance folks, or any other kind — all you cared 
for was Tom Henry Black. Is it at all sur- 
82 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


prising that they didn’t get out and hustle 
trying to nominate you? 

“Tommy, a fellow has to do something 
for people before he has any right to ex- 
pect them to do something for him. You 
can’t go around looking down on folks and 
despising them, and then expect that they 
will break their backs lifting you up to 
high places. 

“It seems to you now that you are right 
and everybody else wrong, and that the 
whole world is ag’in you. It ain’t so; 
don’t you let yourself feel that way. It’ll 
spoil you. You are young, mighty young, 
and if you come through this spell without 
getting sour and twisted in your idees, 
you’ll be a successful man. 

“But, Tommy, you got to be plain and 
honest and kind ; and when you go to speak, 
leave out all that made-up stuff and say 
things you really know and feel. And you 
have to like the people. They are good, 
honest folks, and have been mighty kind 
to you. Look at them right and you will 

83 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


like them — and when you like the people 
and try to do something for them, every- 
thing else will come out all right. 

Saturday afternoon, two weeks later, 
Tom called on Allie Trosper. She was pre- 
paring to return to the academy for her 
third year. She had never seen Tom 
Plenry look so discouraged, so beaten and 
out of heart. Her sympathy was touched 
and she tactfully avoided subjects that 
might hurt him. 

“Allie,” he said directly, “I have been 
a fool. I see it clearly now — a blundering, 
egotistical fool. I ought to have been put 
out of the community.” 

“Softly, softly, friend!” Alliens eyes 
sparkled, but her tone was sympathetic. 
“Don’t abuse yourself, Tom; you do not 
deserve it. We all make mistakes; per- 
haps you have made some. But I am sure 
you will succeed, even better than your best 
friends hope.” 

Having abased himself to the depths, 
there was much comfort in Allie ’s sym- 

84 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


pattiy, much encouragement in her faith in 
him. 

He went away feeling better, hut still with 
a very poor opinion of himself. 

That fall he resigned his place in the 
hank, took what money he had saved and 
started to college, doing odd jobs of every 
kind in order to help out with his expenses. 

Several times during the winter, while 
the legislature was in session, he heard 
from Jimmy Burns, and always in a way 
that hurt. For it was a very humble Tom 
Henry now, and he loyally hoped for his 
friend’s success. But Jimmy seemed to 
have fallen into a bad set at the very be- 
ginning. Several times reports came of his 
being drunk; and once the city papers had 
an amusing story of the member from Wa- 
hoo County, who was expelled from his hotel 
because of disorderly conduct while on a 
spree. 

These reports reached Wahoo County, 
of course, and filled the home people with 
shame. Nothing touched their pride more 
85 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


quickly than to have their representative 
laughed at by the city papers. 

Tom wrote several times to Jimmy, 
pleading with him to be careful, but to no 
effect. At last there was an ugly rumor 
of graft in the legislature; some members 
had been bribed, it was said, and Jimmy’s 
name was connected with it. It was not 
positively proved, but the young man re- 
turned home completely disgraced. 

When Tom returned to Buckeye Bridge 
he found Jimmy Burns had opened a law 
office, but was in a bad way. The open 
criticism of his enemies, the cold aloofness 
of his friends, had hastened his down- 
fall. Seeing he had killed himself politic- 
ally, he had begun to kill himself physic- 
ally and morally by frequent trips to the 
saloon. 

Tom tried desperately that first day they 
met in the young lawyer’s office, and many 
days thereafter, to get him on his feet 
again, and help him to overcome his appe- 
tite and regain his self-respect. But al- 
86 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


thoTigli Jimmy clung to him as his only 
friend, he drifted deeper and deeper, and 
grew hopeless and melancholy. 

There was extra work at the bank that 
summer, and Tom was given his old place 
during the vacation. Although he was 
never talkative, everyone noticed a marked 
change in him. 

“That Black boy,” he heard one patron 
say to another, “is coming out all right; 
believe he’ll make a good man yet.” 

Tom, much gratified with the compliment, 
smiled to think how he would have scorned 
it a year before. 

He did good work in college the second 
year, and when vacation came, there being 
no work in the bank for him, helped his 
father on the farm. 

It was election year again, and two or 
three friends suggested in a perfunctory 
manner that Tom make the race again ; but 
he most emphatically declined even to con- 
sider it. 

Buckeye Bridge township was entitled to 

87 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


fourteen delegates, and Tom Henry was ap- 
pointed as one of them. 

The convention met in the new opera 
house at Sarvis Point. When they reas- 
sembled after noon the house was packed, 
the galleries being filled principally with 
women anxious to witness a political con- 
vention. 

The Buckeye Bridge delegation had 
missed Tom in the morning. He was still 
absent, and they wondered. But just as the 
committee on resolutions handed in its re- 
port Tom came in and took his seat. He 
was pale and visibly agitated. 

The resolutions were the usual sort — 
sounded good, but meant nothing. It was 
moved they be adopted, and the chairman 
arose to put the question. 

“Mr. Chairman” — Tom was on his feet, 
his hand raised — “may I offer an amend- 
ment to those resolutions?” 

“Go ahead,” said the chairman. 

The young man took a paper from his 
pocket and read : 


88 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


“Be it further resolved, that this party 
is strongly opposed to the sale of intoxi- 
cating liquors; that we instruct our can- 
didates for county judges, if elected, to re- 
fuse to license any saloons in this county; 
and pledge our candidate for representa- 
tive, if elected, to vote and work for state- 
wide prohibition. 

“Mr. Speaker” — Tom passed the paper 
to the secretary — “I move the adoption of 
this amendment. ’ ’ 

A bomb would scarcely have created 
greater consternation in the convention. 
The party had always been exceedingly 
careful to say nothing that would offend 
the temperance people, and do nothing that 
would offend the whisky element. Most of 
the county committee were opposed to pro- 
hibition ; the candidate, H. C. Gardner, 
agreed upon for representative, was a 
“wet” sympathizer; and both the prospect- 
ive candidates for county judge were 
“liberal” toward the saloons. 

There was hurried consultation among 
89 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


the wiseacres of the party; three or four 
gathered around Tom and begged him to 
withdraw the motion. “If you start a row 
it will beat the ticket,” was their plea. 

“Is there a second to the motion?” asked 
the speaker after a minute’s wait. 

The motion was seconded. 

“Mr. Chairman,” Tom was on his feet 
in an instant, “I wish to say a few words 
on the motion before it is put to a vote.” 

“You have the floor,” said the chairman. 

Tom passed down to the front and for a 
minute faced the crowd that was largely 
hostile. The muscles of his face were 
tense, and his attitude indicated deep feel- 
ing. Stillness swept over the convention; 
the women in the galleries leaned forward 
to catch the first word ; and as Tom glanced 
up for a second his eyes met those of Allie 
Trosper, curious and intent upon him. 

“Three years ago I stumped this county 
against the saloon; I believed it was an 
evil. I fight it now, because I know it is. 
I was not much interested then. I am now. 


90 



‘you know why^ 


# 




TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“Two years ago this convention nomi- 
nated James Sherman Burns for represen- 
tative. I was his opponent, but Jimmy 
was my friend. During his dark hours 
since, I have learned to love him in spite 
of his weakness.” His voice was subdued, 
but charged with emotion; he faltered and 
paused. 

“Jimmy was a bright young man; but 
when you met this morning his name was 
not mentioned in this convention. You 
know why. 

“Three hours ago, in his office at Buck- 
eye Bridge, James Sherman Burns, repre- 
sentative of this county, shot himself, and 
died twenty minutes later. You know 
why. ’ ’ 

The crowd stirred, shocked by the news, 
amazed, wonderfully moved. 

For less than twenty minutes Tom spoke. 
There were no flowers of speech, no ora- 
torical flights, but simple, heart-to-heart 
words that went keen and uncovered to the 
consciousness of the delegates. 

91 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


When he sat down there was not a stir — 
the most eloquent applause a speaker ever 
receives. 

Two or three delegates recovered suffi- 
ciently to oppose the amendment, but they 
were swept off their feet, and it carried 
by two thirds. When the convention was 
ready for nominations Jim Fullerton arose 
to nominate H. C. Gardner, but before he 
was recognized, Billy Houck was on his 
feet : 

“Mr. Chairman, I move we nominate by 
acclamation Tommy Black for representa- 
tive.” 

In an instant the entire convention — ^visit- 
ors and all — ^were on their feet yelling, 
“Black, Black, Black!” 

It was done in a moment, and delegates 
climbed over their seats to shake the young 
man’s hand. Then he was half carried, 
half pushed to the back of the hall, where 
the ladies had come down from the gallery, 
waiting a chance to congratulate him. 

When the rest were through Allie Tros- 

92 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


per advanced, her face shining, and there 
were two happy tears in her eyes as she 
took his hand. 

“You have found yourself, Tom.” 

“I think so,” he said humbly. 

“And you will work for the people now, 
and they will work for you, and you will 
find greatness in serving Him. ’ ’ 

Early in November one of the leading 
daily papers of the state contained this 
paragraph : 

The youngest member, and one of the most bril- 
liant orators of the coming legislature will be Thomas 
Henderson Black of Wahoo County. 


93 


CHAPTER VII 


T homas henderson black put 

his hat and overcoat in the rack, 
settled himself comfortably in the 
chair and waited with tingling impatience 
for the train to start. 

As they swept on around the curve and 
over the long trestle, Thomas could hardly 
contain himself. Time after time he ran 
his fingers through his sandy hair until 
it stood out on his tall, peaked head like 
a bunch of dead grass on a molehill. He 
looked out at the fiying woods and little 
fields, moved restlessly in his seat and 
glanced around the car. 

He wanted to throw up the window and 
give the old ecstatic yell to the passing hills ; 
‘ ‘ Whoo — ah ! whoo — ah ! whoo ! ’ ’ He 
wanted to get out and dance in the aisle. 
He wanted to stand up and tell everybody 
in the car that he was Thomas Henderson 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


Black, the really and truly elected represen- 
tative of Wahoo County, at the present mo- 
ment on his way to the state legislature. 

The young man quieted down by and by 
and fell to musing on his future greatness. 
They had emerged from the hills and were 
slipping away across the prairie toward 
the border of Kansas. The winter clouds 
had broken and the sun, near its setting, 
sent long, glancing shafts across the brown 
fields, here and there lighting to flame a 
distant farm window, like some huge dia- 
mond. 

Thomas Henderson watched it with emo- 
tion; it was so still and bright and clean, 
and the world was wide, and full of promise. 
Then his mind began to speculate again on 
his fnture. He was an acknowledged ora- 
tor. He knew of many wrongs that needed 
righting, many good laws that should be 
passed. Already he had planned four. He 
would introduce these, and in one of his 
fervent, fiery speeches would carry the op- 
position before him like a storm, and the 
95 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


legislature would pass his hills almost unan- 
imously. His name — and possibly his 
picture — would be in all the papers. The 
folks at home would see it and thrill with 
pride. The governor and all the leaders 
would recognize his great ability, his name 
would be known far and wide and the peo- 
ple would demand that he run for 

But suddenly he checked himself. This 
sounded very like some other dreams he 
had had before, and he smiled to remem- 
ber how they had faded. Then he remem- 
bered Allie Trosper’s words that day he 
was nominated, “And you will serve the 
people and Him.” 

Yes, he would try to do that; and it 
would he hard work to come up to Allie ’s 
expectations. 

He was almost humble by the time he 
reached Kansas City. A few hours on the 
busy streets, the large buildings rising 
above him, the hurrying throngs of well- 
dressed people passing him, and he began 
to feel decidedly humble. The mystery, 

96 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


the loneliness, the intricacy of the city awed 
him. One seemed such a small atom there. 
Here were hundreds of people better 
dressed, better appearing than he, of whom 
he had never heard. Doubtless they, too, 
had wanted to be famous. If they, with 
all their knowledge of life’s ways, and all 
their accomplishments and wealth, could 
not, how could he, poor, unsophisticated, 
alone, expect to win renown? 

It was a decidedly meek Tom Henry 
that boarded the train for the state capi- 
tal. Other men, some of them finely dressed 
and of commanding appearance, whom he 
guessed were representatives, also entered 
the coach. He wanted very much to meet 
some of them, but felt entirely too bashful 
to make himself known. 

All around him he heard talk of the com- 
ing legislature, and after an hour or so a 
young man about his own age came in and 
took a seat beside him. 

“Going down to Jeff. City?” the young 
fellow asked easily. 


7 


97 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“Yes,” answered Tom. “Are you?” 

The young man nodded. He was an 
alert, dark-eyed fellow with an air of know- 
ing the world. Tom guessed that he was 
something of a joker, but liked him. 

“One of the clerks?” he asked directly. 

“No,” and Tom tried to speak in an off- 
hand tone; “representative.” 

The young man turned quickly and eyed 
him for a moment, then broke into a laugh. 

“I wouldn’t have thought it,” he said. 
“No, sir, I never would have guessed you 
were a joker like that. Honest now, are 
you looking for some sort of job down 
there? For if you are, maybe I can help 
you. I have considerable pull. ” 

Thomas Henderson smiled. “No, I am 
not looking for a job. The people gave me 
mine. I am representative of Wahoo 
County.” 

“Oh, then you are Thomas Henderson 
Black, the youngest member? Shake. My 
name is Berry Bennett, reporter for the 
‘Times.’ Glad I ran into you.” 

98 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


They got along finely and had a good 
visit until the train whistled for Jefferson 
City. Then Thomas refused to take the 
’bus to the hotel, but took his suit case and 
walked. 

When he had climbed the steep little hill 
that rose above the depot, the first thing 
he did was to look for the capitol. It was 
midnight, but the moon shone through the 
broken winter clouds and lighted the little 
city. There it was — the old statehouse on 
the hill, white and majestic in the moon- 
light. The blood surged swiftly through 
Tom’s heart. There he would champion 
the right, there he would triumph, there 
he would win fame. 

He went uptown and hunted for the 
cheapest hotel, for he had only seven dol- 
lars, and had no idea how soon he would 
draw his first salary. 

Soon after breakfast next morning he 
went down the street to the Jackson House, 
the leading hotel, where most of the repre- 
sentatives who could afford it, and some 
99 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


that could not, would stay. The hotel 
lobby was already a busy scene. Nearly 
a hundred representatives were there, 
milling around, shaking hands with old 
acquaintances and being introduced to new 
ones. Everyone seemed to be discussing 
the House organization. There were three 
candidates for Speaker, and these were very 
busy making and getting promises of sup- 
port. There were also a score of candi- 
dates for the other elective offices of the 
House of Representatives, all working 
like bees to make honey before swarming 
time. 

But Tom Henry stood around an hour 
watching the scene, overhearing the talk, 
studying the faces, without being ap- 
proached. No one suspected this tall, 
peak-headed, boyish fellow, dressed in store 
clothes, of being a representative. 

Soon Berry Bennett, who was freely cir- 
culating in the crowd to get a forecast of 
coming events, caught sight of Tom. 

“Hello, Black!” He came up and held 
100 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


out his hand. “Who do you think will he 
elected Speaker?” the reporter asked. 

“I don’t know,” answered Tom. Then, 
smiling quizzically, he added: “Just 
between you and me, I don’t know any- 
thing. Don’t even know who are run- 
ning. ’ ’ 

The reporter briefly outlined the situa- 
tion: “Belden of St. Louis has the back- 
ing of most of the city representatives — 
he claims fifty votes from St. Louis and 
Kansas City; Garrett, from over in your 
end of the state, will get most of the coun- 
try votes south of the river; and Melane 
of Dutton County will get the vote of the 
north end of the state. Belden seems to 
be in the lead, although Garrett will run 
him a close race.” 

“Which is the best man for the place?” 
Thomas asked. 

Bennett looked at him queerly for a mo- 
ment and laughed. 

“Well, you are an infant. Don’t let any- 
one else hear you ask that. ’ ’ 

101 


TOM HENEY OE WAHOO COUNTY 


“What should I ask?” Tom was sur- 
prised. 

The reporter slowly shut his left eye, 
stepped close and with mock secrecy whis- 
pered in his ear, “What will I get out of 
it?” 

“But I don’t want anything,” said Tom 
simply. “Only I want the best man for 
the place. Who is he ? ” 

“As to that,” said the reporter, 
“Melane of Dutton is decidedly the 
man of most ability and experience, and 
he is an all-right man. But he stands 
no show. Say, there is Belden now,” 
he broke off. “Let me introduce 
you. ’ ’ 

The reporter took Tom up to a well- 
dressed, fastidious-looking man with sharp, 
restless eyes and a Vandyke heard. 

“Mr. Belden, allow me to introduce to 
you Mr. Black.” 

“Glad to meet you, Mr. Black.” He 
gave Tom a careless glance and shook 
hands in a cold, formal way. He was not 
102 


TOM HENET OF WAHOO COUNTY 


interested in boys from the country seeking 
appointments. 

Then, as Belden started to turn hastily 
away, Berry winked at Tom and added, 
“Mr. Black is representative of Walioo 
County. ’ ’ 

The candidate came around instantly, 
and gripped Tom’s hand. “Why, then you 
have the honor of being our youngest mem- 
ber, ’ ’ he said, with a friendly smile. ‘ ‘ But 
I declare I did not connect your name with 
his. I was just inquiring a little wliile ago 
for you.” 

He took Thomas aside, gave him some 
flattering talk and asked for his vote for 
Speaker. “I’ll appoint one of your friends 
to a good clerkship if you will support me, ’ ’ 
he promised in a low tone. But Tom did 
not promise. 

The other candidates had been watch- 
ing, and as soon as they discovered 
Tom was really a representative, he re- 
ceived more attention than he could attend 
to. He could not help feeling flattered, 
103 


TOM HENRY OE WAHOO COUNTY 


although he knew they were self-seeking 
attentions. 

“Well, how did you like him?” asked 
Berry Bennett when they met an hour later. 

“Who — Belden? Didn’t like him. Not 
my sort.” 

‘ ‘ Say, come have something, ’ ’ invited the 
reporter, starting toward the hotel bar. 

“No, thanks. I don’t drink.” 

“You’ll have to get over that if you ex- 
pect to have any pull. A fellow has to be 
friendly with ‘the boys’ if he wants to he 
anybody. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ I expect to be friendly with the boys, ’ ’ 
replied Thomas dryly. “But I also ex- 
pect to stay on good terms with my stomach 
and my morals.” 

Again Berry stared at him for a minute, 
and whistled under his breath. 

“Well, you are either smarter than you 
look, or greener than you talk, and I don’t 
know which,” he observed as the result of 
his scrutiny. 

Tom tired at last of being solicited for 

104 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


support for dozens of offices he did not 
know existed, got oft to one corner of the 
lobby and took refuge behind a daily paper. 
While he was reading the news from the 
state capital, two men passed quite near, 
talking confidentially, and he recognized the 
supercilious laugh of Eepresentative Bel- 
den. 

“Did you meet that goat from the 
Ozarks ? ” he asked. “ I ’ve got him hitched 
all right — promised him a job for some of 
his friends down there. They couldn’t have 
sent us an easier one.” 

They passed on and Thomas felt the 
blood burning in his face, and his hands 
clinched until they tore the paper. “Easy,” 
was he ? They would see. 

Then a plainly dressed countryman came 
up and sat down beside him. 

“Worse than plowing,” he remarked, 
with a smile. 

“It is tiresome,” agreed Thomas Hen- 
derson. “Are you a representative?” 

“Yes,” answered the countryman, “from 

105 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


St. J ohn County. ’ ’ He was a man of forty- 
five, thin hair beginning to gray, a smooth 
face with good nose and chin and deep-set, 
brown eyes. There was a quiet reserve 
about him that appealed at once to 
Tom. 

“Are you?” the man asked next. 

“Yes — from Wahoo County. My name 
is Black — Thomas Henderson Black.” He 
offered his hand. 

“And mine is T. 0. Burns. I am glad to 
meet you.” 

“Whom are you going to vote for, for 
Speaker?” asked Tom. 

“I do not know,” he answered thought- 
fully; and then added, smiling, “I sup- 
pose it would not be very wise to tell if I 
did.” 

“I do not know either,” said Tom. “But 
I know one I am not going to vote for — 
and that’s Belden.” 

The countryman’s eyes twinkled. “Nei- 
ther am I.” 

“Shake,” said Thomas Henderson Black 
106 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


warmly. “We seem to be of the same 
mind. ’ ’ 

When they parted they agreed to know 
more of each other — an agreement that 
stood them in good stead during the trouble 
that was to follow. 


107 


CHAPTER VIII 


W EDNESDAY morning when Tom 
came down to breakfast he 
picked up a copy of the 
“Times.” Much of the front page was 
devoted to the news of the coming legisla- 
ture. It was predicted that Belden of St. 
Louis would be elected Speaker of the 
House of Representatives. On turning the 
page Tom’s eyes caught a headline that 
made his heart thump against his ribs and 
his head swim so he could scarcely see the 
paper. There it was across the top of the 
first column: 


“The Youngest Member of the Legislature” 

There followed a full half column about 
him, his race for office, his victory, his 
personality. It was nearly all compli- 
mentary — except the description of his 
looks, and he did not mind that — and closed 
108 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


with the prediction that Thomas Henderson 
Black would make himself felt before the 
session was over. 

Tom Henry took the paper in with him 
to breakfast, slipped it into his pocket and, 
after he had eaten, without tasting his 
food, hurried up to his room. There he 
read the article over several times, then 
clipped it and sent it with a long letter to 
Miss Allie Trosper, at Buckeye Bridge. He 
tried to write very modestly, and thought 
he did ; but to one less heated with the fever 
of ambition his words would have sounded 
amusingly egotistical. 

“You see,” he said in part, “they have begun to 
discover me already. I have four good bills prepared 
and am going to get up some more. Oh, they’ll know 
Wahoo County is on the map before this thing is 
over. I will open their eyes, and ears, too, when I 
get turned loose on my bills.” 

Allie wrote a few days later, thanked him 
for the clipping and rejoiced with him over 
his opportunities. But she did not seem to 

109 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


appreciate fully his sudden greatness. Her 
words, as usual, put him to thinking rather 
than tickled his vanity: 

It is pleasant to see one^s name in print, isn’t it? 
And attention of that sort may be of some real use 
to you when it comes to doing real work. I suppose 
the better one is known the more influence he will 
have in the legislature. Of course, the fame of being 
the youngest member will pass away — as you get 
older. But before the Assembly closes I am sure 
you will do something for your state that will not 
pass away, and that is the sort of fame that lasts. 

The House was to meet at two o’clock 
for preliminary organization. During the 
morning Garrett sought out Tom — ^met him 
on the street and walked with him a way. 
He was a tall, heavily built man with a big 
chest and a sonorous voice. His eyes were 
heavily lidded and had a compelling 
force in them. He was a man of promi- 
nence in one of the down-state towns, 
and known as an exceedingly “smooth” 
politician. 

“Well, Mr. Black” — ^he put his arm 
no 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


around the young man’s shoulder — “of 
course you are with us.” 

“In what?” 

“My election for Speaker.” Garrett’s 
tone implied surprise that there could be 
any other consideration. 

“I haven’t decided,” said Tom. 

“Why, you are from South Missouri, 
aren’t you?” demanded the candidate in an 
aggrieved tone. 

“Yes.” 

“Well, I am the candidate for that sec- 
tion; and surely you would not turn down 
your own man?” 

“But,” suggested Thomas, “I thought 
the legislature was for the whole state. And 
I do not see what difference it makes what 
part a man is from so long as he is the best 
man for the place.” 

“But look here,” Garrett stopped and 
wheeled around almost fiercely, bringing 
his face very close to Tom’s, “if we want 
anything in our part of the state we have 
to stand together.” 


Ill 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“But we do not want anything that is 
not good for the state in general, do we!” 

“Oh.” The candidate swore. “I see 
they have you fixed all right.” And he 
went off angry. 

The first vote for Speaker stood: Bel- 
den, sixty-four; Garrett, fifty-one; Melane, 
forty. The country representatives south 
of the Missouri Biver with one exception 
had voted solidly for Garrett. That one 
exception was Thomas Henderson Black; 
he had voted for Melane. 

The roll was called three times and the 
vote stood the same. Then came the ten- 
sion. On the fourth vote it was expected 
there would be changes. The break would 
likely occur in Melane ’s vote, for he seemed 
to have little chance. The candidate that 
got his vote would he elected. 

One of the workers for Garrett slipped 
over to Tom Henry’s desk. 

“See here. Black,” he whispered hur- 
riedly, “your name comes first on the roll 
of those voting for Melane. Switch off 
112 



T SEE THEY HAVE YOU FIXED ALL RIGHT 


7 7 7 


I 





TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


to Garrett and that will start a stampede 
for him. Do it and you can have any- 
thing you want — ^be on the best committees 
— ^have appointments for your friends — 
anything you ask.” 

The clerk had begun to call the roll the 
fourth time. 

“Black of Wahoo.” 

“Melane,” Tom voted clear and strong. 

But Garrett’s friends had been busy with 
others, and directly Melane ’s strength broke 
and the vote went to Garrett, electing him 
by four majority. 

After the election was finished and the 
House adjourned Tom ran across Berry 
Bennett in the lobby. 

“You cooked your goose, all right,” said 
the reporter. 

“How is that?” asked Tom innocently. 

“Followed the wrong lead and got 
left. I told you Melane had no show. 
Now you will get nothing from the 
Speaker.” 

“I don’t want anything,” said Tom 

8 113 


TOM HENBY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


rather hotly, speaking in ignorance of the 
future. 

“Well, you won’t he disappointed.” The 
reporter hurried away, laughing. 

Berry was right so far as committee 
appointments were concerned. Each mem- 
ber was given a place on at least two 
committees, the importance of the commit- 
tees determining his rank in the House or- 
ganization. And the Speaker assigned 
Thomas Henderson Black to two of the 
most inactive and insignificant committees, 
“Constitutional Amendments” and “Game 
and Pish.” But when it came to patron- 
age the House took that largely in its own 
hands, providing by resolution that each 
member of the majority party, to which 
Tom belonged, should have a right to name 
two clerks, and each minority member 
one. 

Thomas was therefore allowed to name 
one member of the engrossing force and 
one member of the doorkeeper’s staff. Each 
place was a desirable office, paying over a 
114 


TOM HENKY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


hundred dollars a month, and not requiring 
heavy work. 

For the engrossing clerk he thought at 
once of Harve Manly at Sarvis Point. 
Harve was a generous, whole-souled fel- 
low, a good penman and finely qualified 
for the work. Besides, he had worked gen- 
erously for Tom’s election without a 
thought or word of reward. 

Tom wired him at once to come. 

But for the other place it was not so easy 
to decide. It was simple work — nearly 
anyone could do it. There were several 
hundred in Wahoo County who would be 
jubilant over the appointment. Many of 
them had worked hard for him. He went 
to bed still studying about it. It came to 
him suddenly in the night whom he should 
appoint. During the campaign he had 
spent one night at a hill cabin in the north 
end of the county. The people were almost 
tragically poor. The family consisted of 
an old man, his wife, a widowed daughter 
and her two children. They were clean and 

115 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


frugal, and in spite of poverty and isolation, 
markedly refined. The old man had been 
a soldier and had lost his left arm in bat- 
tle. He still carried himself erect, still kept 
his old uniform brushed, still smiled kindly 
at the world while he tried bravely to till 
the little farm with his remaining hand. 

Without waiting for morning Thomas got 
out of bed and went to the telegraph office 
and sent this message : 

John C. Turnbe, 

Heckla, Wahoo Co., Mo. 

Come to Jefferson City at once. Have an ap- 
pointment for you. Am wiring you a ticket, at Sarvis 
Point. 

Thomas Henderson Black, Rep. 

He returned to his room happy and smil- 
ing over the delight and excitement that 
message would stir up in that little hill 
cabin, and he went to bed and fell asleep 
well content with his first distribution of 
political “pie.” 

The House of Representatives soon set- 
tled down to routine work, which consisted 
116 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


largely in introducing bills and resolutions. 
Tom discovered that almost every member 
had from one to ten bills tucked away in 
his pockets and these were introduced by 
scores. He got in all four of his; but he 
found introducing a bill did not offer any 
chance to win attention or glory. 

The member merely arose at his seat and 
bawled, ‘ ‘ Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, ’ ’ until 
the Speaker recognized him by saying : 
‘‘The gentleman from Wahoo.” 

Then the representative announced: “I 
have a bill I wish to introduce. ’ ’ 

“Read it,” directed the Speaker. But 
that meant he was to read the title only. 

“A Bill to Prohibit the Manufacture and 
Sale of Intoxicating Beverages in the State 
of Missouri,” read Tom. 

Then a page, one of the dozen small boys 
appointed to run errands for the House, 
came down the aisle and carried the bill to 
the chief clerk, where it was given a num- 
ber. The Speaker then assigned it to a 
committee. And herein lay much of the 
117 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Speaker’s power. If he did not like a bill, 
he would send it to a committee that would 
consider it unfavorably. 

“The bill is referred to the Committee 
on Health and General Welfare,” an- 
nounced the Speaker. 

That was all. There was nothing fur- 
ther that Thomas could do hut wait, and 
enjoy the pleasure of being a representa- 
tive. 

The seat he had drawn was well located, 
near the center of Eepresentative Hall. 
He had a large, easy, leather chair, a desk, 
the Statutes and an abundance of writing 
material all furnished by the state. To sit 
there in the eapitol, looking out of the tall 
windows or studying the historic paintings, 
hearing the drone and hum of state busi- 
ness around him, knowing often that the 
gallery was full of visitors, some of whom 
were pointing him out as the youngest 
representative, was the keenest pleasure he 
had ever known. And during times of in- 
termission, to walk up and down the corri- 
118 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


dors, to drop occasionally into the Senate 
Chamber and be introduced to senators, 
to visit the state offices, to feel that 
he was really and truly a part of the 
legislative body of this powerful state, kept 
him in a general state of pleasurable 
thrills. 

Then one day during the third week he 
received an invitation to a banquet. The 
invitation came in the morning, and all day 
there was a delightful glow around his 
heart, which he felt even when he was not 
thinking about it. The affair, he learned, 
was to be given at the Jackson House, by 
some St. Louis representatives. There 
would be twenty or twenty-five prominent 
members, their wives, sisters or friends. 
Tom ’s first thought was to wish Allie Tros- 
per could be there. How she would enjoy 
it! His next wish was that he had or- 
dered his tailor-made suit a week earlier. 
He was still wearing his ready-made busi- 
ness suit, that at home had been his “Sun- 
day suit.” But clothes had never bothered 

119 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Tom much, and he did not worry over them 
now; he was too proud and pleased over 
the invitation. 

Later in the day he had a second delight- 
ful surprise. He was notified that he would 
be expected to speak to the toast: “The 
Ozarks.” This was his first chance to 
speak, his first opportunity to distinguish 
himself, and the subject suited him exactly. 
He loved his native mountains and de- 
lighted to sing their praise. 

The banquet was Friday evening, at nine 
o’clock. At half-past eight Tom Henry 
was in the hotel lobby, his speech in his 
pocket. He always wrote out his speeches, 
but never referred to the manuscript in 
delivering them. Promptly at nine he ap- 
proached the banquet room. The door was 
not yet open and a dozen men and women 
were grouped near it, talking and laughing. 
Tom stopped near two men in conversation. 
One, whose back was to him, he recognized 
as Eepresentative Belden. 

“We captured that Ozark goat,” he was 
120 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


saying, “and are going to exhibit him to- 
night.” 

“What for?” asked the other, laugh- 
ing, 

“Want to flatter him a little for one 
thing,” replied Belden. “We may need 
him to do a little butting for us after a 
while. And then he’ll furnish enough fun 
to digest our dinner.” 

Tom moved away quickly — quietly, so 
they would not know he had heard. The 
blood was scorching his face and his nails 
dug into his hands. So that was why they 
had invited him! 

On the first impulse he turned and hur- 
ried down the stairs. He would go back 
to his room. Then he checked himself and 
thought — as much as he could think in his 
blinding rage. No, he would return. He 
would speak, and it would be a speech they 
had not bargained for. He would let them 
know he saw through them ; he would roast 
them like cracklings. He would show that 
snake of a Belden and his sleek friends that 


121 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


the goat could butt in very unexpected 
quarters. 

With his lips shut in a straight line, his 
teeth ground together, he remounted the 
stairs and joined the group. Belden was 
the first to recognize him, bowed with po- 
liteness and offered his hand. 

“Good evening, Mr. Black. Have you 
met Eepresentative Cowley, of St. Louis?” 
It was the man to whom he had been speak- 
ing. 

Tom frostily shook hands with him. He 
was a small, dark fellow with an oily skin 
and a treacherous eye ; the sort, Tom 
thought, for a tricky ward heeler. 

“Glad to meet you, Mr. Black,” he said 
and exchanged an amused glance with Bel- 
den. “We are honored to have you with 
us to-night.” 

“Yes, I think you are,” replied Tom 
crisply. 

Then the door opened and the company 
passed into the banquet room, bright with 
lights and fragrant with cut flowers. 

122 


CHAPTER IX 


B efore they sat down to the table, 
Thomas was introduced to most of 
the company, and was received very 
courteously, even cordially by some of 
them. He found himself wondering if it 
were not Belden and his friend only who 
had planned to make sport of him. The 
rest treated him as they did the other 
guests, and seemed perfectly sincere. 

Tom Henry had never attended a ban- 
quet, but he was a quick observer and made 
no embarrassing mistakes. The lights and 
the food and the flowers and the laughter 
made him forget his resentment — at least 
most of it. He began to see how ridiculous 
it would be for him to get up there and de- 
nounce Belden and his friends as he had 
planned. And with returning reason he 
saw that the only way really to get the best 
of them was to make such a good speech 

123 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


that he would win honor instead of amuse- 
ment. 

“Mr. Black,” said a young woman op- 
posite him, “I have been wanting to meet 
you ever since I learned you are from the 
Ozarks. Those hills and mountains must 
be really beautiful.” It was Miss Herron, 
of Jefferson City. 

“Yes,” replied Thomas, “there are many 
beautiful scenes in the Ozarks — the springs, 
the clear, swift streams, the high hills and 
steep bluffs, covered with oak and cedar 
and vines. ’ ’ 

The young woman was listening closely 
and smiled encouragingly. But he caught 
the smile and misunderstood ; she was draw- 
ing him out to have fun at his expense — 
this was part of the plan no doubt. He 
hushed immediately. 

“What do they raise down there prin- 
cipally?” she asked, encouraging him to go 
on. 

“Men, mostly,” he answered. 

She flushed slightly at his tone. Look- 
124 





: • -y 



;;->s 




4 . 


■ E 


• •». 


3S 


^f 

% 


• v» 


;i » 


’ < V 


« • / 


t- »->V'-' . - ' '■ ^:---di'' -''i • ' - vM. •T'-.;:,:-* 

'. » • T^NiT. . - • : • • . • - .•i^n , ^ > I * • -tai 


'jT i 

• - ., ' ■* . ' .. :- .. ; 

* ' ■ '»'*•'* Y * . 


.> \ 

9 


-•/ 1 


. t 


^ V’ -v ,y4> . '^ ‘ 

."‘y* r^ . J ,• 


*1 -. 


. • > 


* » s 


•4 

■ *.> • « 
% 


^ ;.y- s. - 

• i ‘» -:. 






^ v». V 


f •• 


.• •> . f 


>r 




. , . ^ . I 

• i 

• * 




■* .1*^ .,, < • ^ • ♦'•*^ 4 ’ *7 

. - V ■'i , ■' ' ^ 

■' ■ •: ■' ■';- . 

.> . 

'' 'H 

U' 






. 


;;>■ 


. j^'.r . 


' 


■» ; 

r . 


<V:/ 

’*• ■ * ■ 


. . n • * 

V . ‘.I* 

. •■- t - . .; 


> 

^ • .V 

I .• 


• «• 

Y.l 


V . 

. ■ V .* 


3 • 


' • ' -V , 






• - t 

V- . - ■<> .*1 




^r/- i - >1j 


I 

V ri'* 


“ • . •■* ■ V* 

•'■ •• 0- • *V4 


IF? 


. . r' ^ '' 


♦• • I ' i-« 

K- 


« 






• ' • * . , I - 


.• t 


-• 

I r 






-.'’T 

4.. 


.►.y 


t • ji: 


. •'% *■ s’ 


•»*r, 


i.. 








■* . ' •• 7 ' V‘, • "-■ ■•, ‘vV? . , 


^•-' 'i'-. 






*- t •. r '•- 

.;:v ■ '■ ■!• 

• •» ( 


V.V' -■ ^ :« 








-il v■^ „ 

lY*- '“'. ^ 


/ , 


V* '- 


v 


s % 

V s 


« i 


Vi ; 


■ 1’ 


'* V-. 




r 


• * * '. ■ '/••* 


. * -:,.♦ -i 

. -‘.•> r/a 


f ^ 


^ •' vv; « 




•s •. 

I ^ 


• .* 

■ »• 


i • • / f 

3 • 


•i 


•#Y «.• • . • > ^ 




. • V 

i; V r . • • 


7-. 


T - >\ 


.0 


^ s. 


: 

V J' 


Si ^ 


'’■f^-'.V yT V'* ^'^vr-,.;/;,' 

•• *>77-. ,■’.•■ T .;■ ; ■.•, --u- ■ . ^ 


i‘ l/r : 


f K 


r, V ♦•• • 

r *> • «■& 

■ '■■ ■• ■ 
. o * "'I 


.wr>< • /i 




•V 







« ; 


't /- 


* I 


*.'•• • * <« \ J 


4 


i> ■ 




^ * ■^ . 


/ .' - > 


e « J 


. i>, 


■/: 


, r- 

% • 


» 4 • 

'• ' ♦* 


» * k 


V 


v» 


■ V/- ' ' ' 


’ , 

, , f •' 




. •#> 


v: 




. .a:: 


•* . « 


k * 


5''. 

I J*'I • . '^- - • 


•r-. -.-.^ r. 

■ ■■- v:V 

^ • • • • ' % 

* ' - V 


"• . >• V- 

”> ■ '• 'nV' ;>.••• - ^ 

: V ^ kil; ^ 



* -.v-:' 

4 -ri •■ ^ 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


ing again into her clear blue eyes and frank 
face, he was convinced he had been mis- 
taken — she was sincerely interested. They 
continued the conversation most entertain- 
ingly, others near them joining in, until 
time for the speeches. 

There were three speakers before Thomas 
Henderson Black, one of them Belden. The 
toasts had been a little long, not unusually 
bright, and the wit was rather forced. 

When Tom arose, his very appearance 
arrested their jaded attention. Wliatever 
he might be he was not ordinary, and they 
felt that what he said would not be the 
usual formal speech. 

Just enough of his anger and resentment 
lingered to make him feel on his mettle, 
and free from self-consciousness. He be- 
gan in an easy, natural way, telling an 
Ozark character story which brought out a 
spontaneous laugh. Then he spoke of the 
hills — ^his beloved Ozarks. 

His toast was beautiful, poetical and 
backed by such genuine sentiment that it 
125 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


captivated the listeners like a finely ren- 
dered piece of music. His words gave 
them the delightful impression of listening 
to something new and clean and unspoiled 
— something pure and high and sweet as 
the mountain air itself. At the end the 
spontaneous and prolonged clapping told 
him that he had really won them. 

As the party was breaking up Miss Her- 
ron came to him and held out her hand. 
There was a wistful, almost pleading look 
in her eyes. 

“I am proud to know you,” she said 
frankly. “And keep that sentiment, Mr. 
Black, those high ideals. Do not let any- 
thing — anything in the world — spoil them. ’ ’ 

After most of the guests had congratu- 
lated him, he saw Belden and Cowley also 
waiting to speak to him. But he managed 
to slip out. He hated to shake hands with 
men he did not like. 

The next day the Jefferson City “News,” 
the afternoon paper, had a full account of 
the banquet and most flattering mention 
126 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


was made of Thomas Henderson Black, 
“whose brilliant and beautiful toast to the 
Ozarks was decidedly the most delightful 
address of the occasion.” 

This, his first social triumph, pleased 
Tom immensely. He sent the clipping with 
his next letter to Allie Trosper, and told 
her all about the banquet and Miss Her- 
ron. 

Strange to say, her reply was not very 
enthusiastic. Tom could not understand it. 
He thought she would be delighted. She 
even suggested that perhaps Miss Herron 
was the society reporter for the “News” — 
which guess happened to be correct. 

During the next week the House began 
to get down to actual work. The commit- 
tees began to report some bills, and the leg- 
islature entered upon the serious work of 
making laws. 

Tom learned that the regular order 
through which every bill must go was as 
follows : 

First, introduced by a member, num- 
127 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


bered by the clerk, referred to a committee 
by the Speaker. 

Next, it was considered by the commit- 
tee and then reported back to the House 
in this way: The chairman of the commit- 
tee would arise at the proper time and say, 
“Mr. Speaker, your committee on Criminal 
Jurisprudence is ready to report on House 
Bill No. 37, and recommends that the bill 
do not pass.” A vote would then be taken 
whether to accept the committee’s report. 
If a majority of the representatives voted, 
“Yea,” then the bill was dead. 

But if the committee recommended that 
the bill “do pass,” then it was ordered to 
engrossment. That is, the bill was sent to 
the engrossing clerks, where an exact copy 
of it was made in the records, and the copy 
sent to the ofiScial printer. Several hun- 
dred copies were printed and one copy laid 
on each member’s desk, so he could study 
it at his leisure. 

After that the chief clerk had it read 
by the reading clerk every day for three 
128 


TOM HENEY OE WAHOO COUNTY 


days; that is, merely the title. The third 
day it came up for final consideration and 
was open to debate. If, when put to vote, 
it carried, it was sent to the Senate for its 
action. If passed by the senators it was 
sent to the House enrolling clerk, where a 
perfect copy was made in handwriting for 
the permanent records of the state; and 
then the bill was finally sent to the gover- 
nor for his signature — then it became a 
law. 

But there were many ways to get rid 
of a bill without voting it down, as Tom 
Henry learned to his sorrow. During that 
fourth week one of his pet bills earnei up 
for final passage. It was really a good 
measure — a bill to provide free text-books 
for school children. Tom was prepared to 
champion it. This was to be his first speech 
before the legislature and it was full of 
historical allusions, flowers of speech and 
oratorical effects. It was to be the speech 
which would win him fame, the one that 
would be printed in all the great daily pa- 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


pers ; the speech that would be read by the 
voters at home with a thrill of pride. 

Tom had a good voice and began in a 
strong, fervid way. The House and the 
visitors in the gallery listened for eight or 
ten minutes quite closely. But when he 
went on and on in the same flowing, flowery 
strain, the members began to lose interest. 
Here and there one would resume his writ- 
ing, or busy himself with the things on his 
desk, or read the newspaper. 

He saw he was losing attention and threw 
all his force into the set speech, trying to 
win them back. But more and more of his 
listeners began to turn to their own affairs. 
Some whispered across seats, others 
yawned, still others got up and strolled 
back to the lobby, while a few ruder than 
the rest clicked the lids of their spittoons 
with the toes of their shoes. "Wlien he 
closed, not thirty people were left listening. 

As soon as he sat down Belden Jumped 
up and moved the bill be “laid on the ta- 
ble.” 


130 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


Not knowing what that meant, Tom made 
no objection, and before he knew what was 
happening the motion was put and carried. 

Raging within himself at the failure of 
his speech, he went to an obscure corner 
of the lobby and sat down alone to abuse 
himself. “You fool, Thomas Henderson 
Black,” he said to himself angrily, “you 
haven’t as much sense as a huckleberry 
bush — and never will have. There you 
failed, and now you are ruined — they never 
will listen to you now.” Then for a rest 
he would change off and abuse the House 
for not listening. 

Burns, the member from St. John 
County, came leisurely along the lobby as 
if by accident, and sat down beside him. 

“A real good speech, Mr. Black,” he 
said in his quiet way. Then his brown eyes 
twinkled a little as he added, “For the 
first. ’ ’ 

“What was the matter with if?” Tom 
asked miserably. 

“Well, said the countryman thoughtfully, 
131 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“I reckon it was more intended to show 
them you was an orator than to get your 
hill passed. You see, to get anything done 
you have to talk mighty plain, straight talk. 
Got to give facts and figures — show how 
your law has been tried other places and 
proved a success; give them the figures as 
to what it will cost and what it will save, 
and show just how it will really benefit the 
state. 

“The constitution, the flag, the eagle of 
liberty, the blood-stained battle ground and 
such like fireworks are all right for the 
Fourth of July or a picnic; hut they don’t 
go far in getting school books for young- 
sters. That’s why your bill failed.” 

“My bill failed?” Tom asked in aston- 
ishment. 

“Sure,” said Burns. “When a bill is 
laid on the table it is as good as dead; 
to postpone it indefinitely kills it. But if 
they had failed to kill it that way they 
would have amended it until it wasn’t any 
account. That is the way they kill bills 

132 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


without having to vote against them — that 
and never reporting them from commit- 
tee. ’ ’ 

After a while Tom Henry slipped back 
to his seat, much sadder and humbler, and 
a little wiser. He began at once to study 
every move. He would learn their tricks, 
and know how to defend himself next time. 

A few days later another of Tom’s bills 
came up with a recommendation from the 
committee that “it do not pass.” Tom ap- 
pealed to the House to overrule the commit- 
tee and put the bill on the calendar. But 
his motion was lost. That finished two of 
his bills. 

A week later his third bill was defeated ; 
and Tom began to feel that his influence 
as a legislator was a failure. But there 
was one left — the one he hoped most from. 
It was his Prohibition Bill. He was learn- 
ing their tactics, and when it came up he 
would force a roll call, so the members 
would have to go on record for or against 
it. But he waited day after day without 

133 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


seeing or hearing anything of that bill. 
The time was slipping away. Two 
months had already gone. He was getting 
uneasy. 

One night after dinner he decided to go 
across the city to Burns’s boarding place 
and talk to him about it. 

“They have no intention of reporting it,” 
said Burns. “The chairman of the com- 
mittee is especially interested in the brew- 
eries. ’ ’ 

They discussed the possible ways of 
forcing the committee to act. It was nearly 
midnight when Tom started to return to his 
hotel, his mind busy with plans, his fighting 
blood up. There was snow on the ground, 
and the biting northwest wind from over 
the frozen river went to one’s bones. He 
shivered and hurried on. 

Directly he saw a man walking ahead 
of him — ^walking unsteadily. He was 
drunk. At one of the darkest places on 
the street the man seemed to trip, stag- 
gered, lost his balance and plunged off the 

134 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


high walk into a snow bank. He did not 
stir. 

Tom ran to him. It was Berry Bennett. 

Few classes of men are more sober than 
reporters — they have to be. But Berry 
had been subjected to severe temptation in 
that there was a constant offer to treat him, 
and being weak, anyway, he had been drink- 
ing pretty hard. 

Half carrying, half leading the reporter, 
Tom got him to his room, turned on the 
lights and started to get him to bed. But 
Berry stirred and tried to sit up. 

“Got — to — got — to get off my newsh,” 
he muttered thickly. “Loosh my job.” 

Tom had not thought of that. The re- 
porter’s two columns of capital news had 
to be in by two o’clock every night. If he 
failed, he certainly would lose his job. 

It was already a little past midnight and 
something must be done quickly. Tom had 
never done any reporting, but he was a good 
writer, and he determined to try to save 
Bennett. 


135 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


He found some notes taken by the re- 
porter during the day, and this, together 
with what he could remember of the pro- 
ceedings, gave him plenty of material. He 
wrote hurriedly, trying as far as he could 
to imitate Berry’s style. 

At a quarter after one he had it finished 
and hurried down to the telegraph office. 
He did not want to sign the reporter’s 
name, but was af^’aid the operator would 
refuse to send it from him. 

He hurried into the office, shoved the copy 
over the desk and said brusquely: 

“Bennett’s copy for the ‘Times.’ Eush 
it — it is a little late.” 


136 


CHAPTER X 


B eery BENNETT slept late next 
morning, and, when he awoke, only 
dimly remembered the evening be- 
fore; but he recalled enough to know that 
he had been drunk and that Thomas Hen- 
derson Black had pulled him out of a snow- 
drift and brought him home. 

Suddenly it came to him like a blow that 
he had failed to send his daily news to the 
paper, and that meant he would lose his 
job. For the next two hours he was dread- 
fully blue and worried. He had worked 
hard to get this post, and now to lose it and 
be discharged entirely would be a fearful 
price to pay for his folly. But when the 
“Times” came at noon, to his surprise he 
found the usual “Capital News.” And 
he understood it, and went out to find his 
friend. 

“Hello,” he called to Tom Henry on the 
137 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


street, and hurried to catch up with him. 
“You have me all right,” he said warmly, 
holding out his hand. “You saved me, and 
I want you to know from now on I am as 
straight as you are. It was a close call, I 
tell you, and not another fellow in town 
would have saved me as you did.” 

“I am glad I could help,” said Tom, 
smiling, “and gladder that your are 
going to quit the drink, instead of your 
job.” 

They walked on to the capitol, talking. 

“By the way,” said the reporter, “I sup- 
pose you know they never intend to report 
that bill of yours out of committee? They 
are afraid to leave it to a vote. Cowley is 
chairman of that committee, and he is a 
saloon-owner. Your bill is hung up to 
dry.” 

“Thank you.” And Tom went up the 
steps with his jaw set at a fighting angle. 

He went directly to the committee room. 
Some of the members were already there, 
and he asked to speak to Cowley. The 

138 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


smooth, dark, oily little fellow came out, 
twisting his black mustache. 

“I want to know when you are going to 
report my bill,” said Tom pointedly. 

“Why, Mr. Black,” he answered suavely, 
“just as soon as we can get to it. You 
know our committee has a pile of work to 
do, and two of our members were out all 
last week. But we are going to rush things 
now as fast as we can.” 

“When do you think you will get to 
it?” 

“Why, before long, Mr. Black. It ought 
not to be a great while now, if I can get 
these members to come. You know how 
hard it is to get a committee together. ’ ’ 

“Well,” said Tom bluntly, “if that bill 
is not reported to the House by the first 
of next week I am going to start some- 
thing. ’ ’ 

The little man bristled. “You don’t 
mean to hint that we are holding back on 
it ? ” he blustered angrily. 

“I don’t hint anything,” said Tom coolly, 

139 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


‘ ‘ but that is wbat ’s what. ’ ’ And he turned 
away. 

The bill was not reported the first of the 
week. 

Wednesday, Thomas arose and offered 
a resolution calling on the committee for 
an explanation why this bill was not re- 
ported to the House. 

The Speaker promptly ruled the motion 
out of order. Tom Henry appealed from 
the decision of the chair, but the House 
supported the Speaker, and Tom lost. 

The next day he introduced another reso- 
lution, worded differently, instructing the 
committee to report his bill by a certain 
day. The Speaker put this to a vote, but 
again Tom was beaten. 

Tom was filled with hopeless rage. He 
could do nothing more — not a thing. His 
bill was dead right there in the committee ; 
the House would never get a chance to vote 
on it. 

“Cheer up,” said Berry Bennett, meet- 
ing him in the lobby a little while after- 

140 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


wards. “It would not have done any good 
to have had it reported anyway. It would 
have been killed just the same, and it saved 
you from making another speech.” He 
grinned. ‘ ‘ There are twenty traps for 
bills like that. Neither party would let it 
become a law when it came to vote. Don’t 
you know it is determined even before the 
legislature meets what laws shall be enacted 
and what not ? Your Prohibition BUI never 
had the ghost of a show.” 

Tom Henry realized that it was true. He 
had begun to see that laws were not passed 
merely by introducing a good bill and then 
persuading free men to vote for it. There 
were politics, bosses, private interests, 
wheels within wheels, all organized, which 
determined legislation. 

Tom went to his hotel that evening thor- 
oughly down-hearted. All his chances for 
glory were gone. His only speech had 
miserably failed. All his hills were de- 
feated. He had done nothing and could do 
nothing. 


141 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Couldn’t he? Maybe he could. He be- 
gan to study, and the more he thought 
of how things were run the madder he 
got. 

Early next morning he got Burns into a 
quiet corner. 

“Haven’t you a temperance bill of some 
kind in committee?” 

Burns smiled in his slow, understanding 
way. “Yes, and it is likely to stay there. 
It is the ‘County Unit Local-Option Bill.’ 
You know as the law now stands if there 
is a town of over two thousand inhabitants 
in the county it may vote separately on 
the saloon question ; and although the 
county may go ‘dry’ three thousand, if the 
town goes ‘wet’ by only one vote it may 
keep its saloons, and thus practically make 
the whole county ‘wet.’ My bill provides 
that the town must vote with the county 
and the majority rule. It would put about 
fifty towns that now have saloons in the 
‘dry’ column and would not make a single 
‘dry’ county ‘wet.’ This is the only bill the 

142 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


whisky men are afraid of, for they know it 
will pass if it ever comes to a vote. ’ ’ 

“What committee has it?” asked Tom 
Henry. 

‘ ‘ Criminal J urisprudence — Belden is 
chairman.” 

Tom nodded thoughtfully. “I have a 
scheme. How many positively dry men do 
you know in the legislature — men that will 
stand to the last ditch?” 

Burns studied a moment. “Perhaps fif- 
teen.” 

“And I know a few,” said Tom. “You 
get yours and I will get mine and we will 
meet here in your room to-morrow even- 
ing. ’ ’ 

It was so agreed. The word was passed, 
and the next evening they had a larger 
gathering than they expected ; nearly thirty 
representatives were there. Most of them 
were from country districts where temper- 
ance sentiment was very strong, and all of 
them were pledged before election to fur- 
ther temperance legislation. 

143 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“Boys,” said Burns, “we will ask Mr. 
Black of Wahoo County to explain the pur- 
pose of this meeting.” 

Thomas, standing with his hand on the 
back of his chair, said in an earnest, con- 
versational tone: 

“Fellow-representatives: When I came 
to the legislature I was remarkably green. 
I am green yet, but I have learned a few 
things. One of them is that there is an 
organization in the House which prevents 
any bills from having a fair show, unless 
they happen to approve of them. I lost all 
four of my hills before I discovered what 
was the matter — they were good bills, too.” 
He smiled whimsically. 

“Now there is only one temperance bill 
that amounts to anything left, and that is 
Burns’s County Unit Local-Option Bill. 
It is hung up in the committee, and is slated 
to die there, for they are afraid to let it 
come to a vote. 

“There is only one way to get it out: 
form an organization of our own, and force 
144 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 

them to give us fair play. They have al- 
ready run in a half dozen of their own bills 
ahead of this. My plan is for us to stand 
together and block action on every one of 
their bills brought up out of its rightful 
order, and not say a word. They will soon 
discover something is the matter, and at 
the right time we will demand a fair hear- 
ing for our bill, and get it.” 

Burns and several others warmly ap- 
proved the plan, and urged its adoption. 
Twenty-six of those present pledged to 
stand together and force the issue. They 
proposed also to add as many others as 
they could trust. 

“Now,” suggested Burns, “Thomas Hen- 
derson Black’s name occurs first on the 
roll. Suppose we appoint him to act as 
our leader. He will investigate and decide 
which measures we want to block, and we 
will all follow his lead.” 

This was also approved. 

Tom had already discovered who were 
the real bosses of the House. There was 

145 


10 


TOM HENBY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


a cabal of five, with a few others occasion- 
ally let in, which consisted of Belden, 
Speaker Garrett and three other represen- 
tatives prominent in party affairs. This 
party, to which Tom Henry also belonged, 
had only fourteen majority in the House, 
and it required a united vote to put meas- 
ures through. But so far everything had 
gone smoothly. The members had meekly 
followed their floor leader, who took his 
orders from the “big five.” 

Tom also learned what measures they 
were particularly anxious to put through. 
First and above all was the Appropriation 
Bill, which they had written to suit them- 
selves. The next was Belden ’s Home- 
Eule Bill, which applied only to St. Louis. 
Belden wanted to run for mayor of his 
city the following year, and this measure, 
if he could get it through, would make him 
very popular. He had worked smoothly 
and had his plans all laid so the bill would 
go through without a hitch. 

The next morning when Tom looked up 

146 






LT : '-r.;'.,' 

p I 3 ’ •■ »./ •*^*«.*%* 

jpj^'-.' ..- '\ • . 

r ' -A^ : 

. . V :•' • 

*; vX^, wi’ r •' ^ 

I -■/•■■., , -rf * .* • 'v/.' .'".v.-r ,- 

|l' ^r’ ■ 

H.' • X * » ^ • 

If J. V%v. , •■ *' . -< -.^ 

• • . ■ 2. 

> ■■’ .■ ' ■ -• ' Vi • 



\ » 1 '. ' ' ' . 


\:..t-l:j- ■- •• . -'r;'.' • -f*'. 


'' '•' i' ^-'' '-'‘vV >; 

Mr * •* . • • • _ V'"* • 

H . » • •» 

K-yf '. / :. **f '^ ■• 

;.*'v'*' **>-><> I ^ ' . 

1> ..K . V » ’ . - I • *’ 

fe- ^ •' •• ,. -:• - 

rV^uV:'- . ' • ': :;■ ' 

<- y-l^ V-r ■ ^■'- • :• •^•’^ • 

Li'-'-.t 


V . ■••/^:\'- .... ■ •■ • '. , 

S -. 

1 ^ . . V '■ . ^ 'r, • • X:V*« ' ■' *■ • ■ ^'V ’• 

V .-. , • • * . , ._• - , y{ : ' ’- ■ . .■•■•-'. s 

■ '*. ■ '*W'-' •• '.•«•'? .V " 'r ■ '* . . r o' v; 


„w -u 

j ’ ' '‘:^' 

T w , ^ . 


•'• f .V 
'V * .» 


9 *. 


. *'1^ : • 


y. 






'v' 


i-T'-fiVi? . 

, ■ ■ 


>^*P ^ 


;/y. ."••** -. -‘ ••'■•’ 

_ ^ <1 'A;>y •• 


* * 

'i'/ V 

' r . - * ■ > 


> \ 




« * 




/• 
9 • 


. V 


' S ' ^ / 


* ^ • "* 

.«• » Vi^vS’ • 

, 1. ■ • 


* - • t _, • 




' V 

.*9 
\ . 


:k^l. 

• X 


I 

N ', 


• , 


.1 


J 


'l^ 


■ ■'■ ’ • 

• •••.?' 7 

; .‘-■^- 

U- ' - -• 

; .V - . - ■. 


■^. •,• ■’'•VCTyV. 

■ ' /• ‘ '• ' 

1“* • > ' ‘ 


r:--3 ; 


* A V « -• ^ jiA . ^ : • I • 

>' . •, ■ -. , wv. ■ 

^ >- • ' >», A. V»*.* f '-•. - >• • ^‘ - f ' 

' ■ :•' ^■ ■>' . - - .'•* 

■■ ; ■ '.• . >' • ' •. - -v . ' 

• • . ^ •• • • . ^ ; ■•>**' 
.’• '» i. ■• 


[t- •>• ■■ 

V - , ■ r • 




■ V 


f • 

k* 


A 


\%p * *-1^ 

I ♦♦ 

'’ i • 


■iZ 

V 

. > :* • * 


( 


A 


• V 


:f V v< '“ 

' ' «* • • • • • 

J •’ • i’ !-•• ’♦ * 




. »• 


/ - 



« 

• ^ 

V4 

4 


W 

* . » 

• » , 

V\ 

.Vx 
.» ■ » 


i . • ' ^ m*' * ♦ 

1 • . •. * . i • ' * * . ‘ 

*’ ■'•.'■ ‘’.c -1^ .'.V,! "s. ■••'■• ■ 

'■ . ■ -. v • ■ •'•' "r; 

'?.n'. ■ ' •'•. '•■ -I *»>'>. ' 







•r ■'* ■ **'j, . ' •. - ,■• ^-- • -, • 

■' '■ .; ■ Y^> ‘ C "- ■ '■:■'■ - .' •" ■• *■' ■ 

». * ** *•’ >» ,V^; '^ • •♦>’ , . •» *>< 

*.‘\ . , Vi* . • • « -A •■». ^ * » ' ' V- ■ •^ ■ 

r- * <*■, • -%• .7 . ; •• 

• • f • . - . ^ V-' ^. ’ i* 'i * ’ • * ' -■' 

- ' ■ * ’* ■ ■■ 

■ > r -^'; '-..^ . .• 


-V .••> XV 

.; ■>■ ^ ■ , '. 

‘ * \i •■ ‘x • • .'-. • '1^ 

• ; » '^ . .' • *•* •••- 
•♦>’ , , ■ - . •». ^ • . • 

;A V. . 9 * C ' ; 


•- -»■- 

B*' - • V . 

r ’• • . . •• ’•- • • 


. V/ 


I 




i* 

*» 


-vr* . 

fciv. V-,-- %*'. 


•t*. 


.>♦' 


V!.\ 

T •’.i 


JV’V- ' 


r. 








I 


.A 


’ \ 


.:^A ’'■ ■ 

■' ■ . *T 

" ' » A*" , 


1 I 




• ' V , 




s; 

) 


rK'r- ■. ov-' ' ■ * /.• 

K- v-'^ ■ m-u: - . 

p,:. /.. r . • •,. A ' V^' ■ V ' ' ' 


t 




V^-. ■• 






■ f 




' . .>**v 

M- ■ ■ ■ ■• ■" ■' •' A- 

t' '’■•^^.7 -- ‘ 7‘. ■ :'. 

r ^ >'5?* /-i • 

^ ; •••*\^ •.' • * 1^ _ 'iv* • 

p'' i'. ■ 

k. i • .• - . - . %/V J t . . 


y. 


>. 


• % 


* * ■ ^ ■ ' ' •* * * . ‘ * ' '9 

*■».*/• - V ’ /'VV ^ - 

' ' .. ' . * *v.r ' . / H.; 

V' - ‘*\“’-i‘ v. 

- " ■; . ■■ . ■ •, 


* * *. 


V ^ 


■V' .V^: 

. K 


■' 

V ■' .J- j fG.’ . ■ 

• • # 

* • - • • * 




a' '► -• . 

» t i ' 'i* 




•', .- . •'I 

C;. , . . 


'' :.- V 

- • • • t 

I / , 


♦ "'V 


f ' r ‘ * ’• ->• 

M i.**’ ’ . ' 

’ • , / • V. 0 I ^ 

: ^ <'^m?k :. 




r 

0. 

«l 


, / 


^ ' 


\ r •: ^ 

* 


■>* 


• * 


•*?/• .‘v;^ 




i-,w- .'V - 

S' ■>, .■■:- 

/9 - ’• ■-. •. ■ 'i . r A v, ^ 

Bi s.^f^ “t* . '(k .f’r,; ’-"‘r ‘- ■''' ' • 




• ‘vtv 


• . ;■’ '*■ ’ .'' ;'. iv 

. 1 ■*•>" ' v,.v V- 

' ••* .t’ »'•* • . » . •. .i ' - 


A 




I 


f 


• V 

» ’ " 
t , '• 



a • 


% 

V 


4 

/■ 


I 




\ 


\ 





V/ 

> 



!('fm'///&/i. 




StfiiiltiiiHlnilj"^ 


tt. 




mssm. 




MR. SPEAKER^ 




# 


c i c 






TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


the House calendar he discovered that Bel- 
den’s Home-Rule Bill was to come up for 
third reading that very afternoon. 

At three o’clock Belden and Cowley, his 
right-hand man, and several other helpers 
were very busy. Nearly every member 
was in his seat, and Belden was alert, but 
smiling. Pie had gathered in all the friends 
of his bill, and according to his count would 
have twelve majority. 

It had been agreed that only two speeches 
would be made; one in favor of it, by Bel- 
den ; one opposed to it, by a member of the 
opposition party. 

The speeches were made, the bill was up 
for final passage, the clerk was just ready 
to begin the roll call. 

Thomas Henderson Black arose. “Mr. 
Speaker.” 

“The gentleman from Wahoo,” said the 
Speaker. The representatives turned in 
their seats curiously to see what this 
peaked-headed young fellow wanted to say. 

“I move this bill be laid on the table.” 


147 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


The motion was quickly made and as 
quickly seconded. 

A wave of surprise swept the House. 
The opposition party grinned. But Tom’s 
own party looked concerned. The young 
fellow had made a blunder, an ignorant 
blunder — no doubt he did not understand 
what he was doing. One of the older 
representatives slipped quickly over to him 
and whispered hurriedly: 

“Withdraw that motion. This is a party 
measure, and slated to pass.” 

Tom merely shook his head. 

Belden smiled. He thought Tom was 
just trying a childish move to get even be- 
cause he had tabled the school-book bill. 
Even without Black’s vote he was sure of 
eleven majority. They would vote down 
the motion, and then pass the bill. 

Some one demanded a roll call on the mo- 
tion. That meant the clerk must call each 
member’s name and record how he voted. 

When the clerk called “Black, of 
Wahoo,” and Tom voted to table the bill, 
148 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Belden was still smiling. But when one, 
two, five, ten, of his own party followed, he 
grew pale and began to hurry around ex- 
citedly, consulting the leaders. 

The motion was carried by twenty, and 
the bill tabled. 

There was a great stir in the House and 
excitement in the galleries. Something 
was happening and none of them seemed to 
know what or why. The party had voted 
almost solidly as instructed during the 
whole session. This was the first break. 

Belden and a few others hurriedly called 
Tom to the lobby. 

“Say, Mr. Black,” said Belden excitedly, 
“you made a mistake on that motion. You 
don’t understand. To table a hUl is pretty 
nearly as bad as to kill it. And this is 
strictly a party measure. We are pledged 
to it in the platform. We want you to 
move to reconsider that vote.” 

Tom replied quite soberly, although a 
smile lurked in his eyes : “ I guess it won ’t 
hurt a party measure any worse to lie on 

149 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


the table than it does any other. I have 
had a bill lying there for several weeks, and 
haven’t heard it groan yet.” With that 
he turned and went back to his seat. 

But some of the others who had voted 
for the motion were prevailed on to move 
to reconsider. Another roll was called, the 
result just the same. 

The thing looked serious now. It was 
not merely a mistake. Somebody moved 
to adjourn, and the House quickly ad- 
journed. 

Immediately representatives gathered in 
groups to discuss the break. One group 
of regulars was around Belden and Gar- 
rett. Burns edged in. 

‘WVhat is hack of it?” asked one of the 
party leaders. “And who is doing it?” 

“I don’t know,” replied another, “but I 
would not be surprised if that peaked- 
headed son-of-the-Ozarks is at the bottom 
of it.” 

“H’m!” Belden sniffed scornfully. 
“Why, that goat hasn’t sense enough to get 

150 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


up that sort of thing in a hundred years. 
Somebody is merely making a cat’s-paw of 
him.” 

“I don’t know about that,” said Garrett, 
shaking his head. “I am of the opinion 
that Thomas Henderson Black is not so 
much of a fool as he looks.” 


151 


CHAPTER XI 


T he next day all the city papers de- 
voted much space to the apparent 
defeat of the “Home-Rule Bill.” 
It was a general surprise, as the bill had 
been thought sure of a safe passage. All 
of the papers had theories as to the cause; 
but only the “Times” came near it, when 
it hinted at a secret understanding among 
certain members to down the “big five.” 
It also predicted that interesting events 
would ensue before the session was over. 

Tom went about quietly strengthening 
his organization. He began to enjoy the 
situation. He was fast emerging from 
the vast vat of blues into which his former 
failures had plunged him. He was forget- 
ting himself. It was no longer a matter 
of making a name — it was a law, a righteous 
law sorely needed for the protection of the 
moral people of the state, for which he was 
162 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


now fighting. He even effaced himself as 
much as possible, and allowed the bosses 
and leaders to think it was others back of 
the opposition. 

In the afternoon, merely as a “feeler,” 
Cowley moved that the Appropriation Bill 
be taken up for final consideration the fol- 
lowing Tuesday. 

The motion was lost. 

Two other party measures were brought 
up. Both failed. 

It began to look serious. Speaker Gar- 
rett was visibly worried. Belden and the 
others were nervous and anxious. 

An adjournment was secured and an in- 
vestigation started. A half dozen of the 
inside wheels of the machine got together 
in a committee room and sent out one at a 
time for those suspected of being at the bot- 
tom of this new opposition. Burns, Thomp- 
son, Sellers, Daniels, were all called; but 
they gave only evasive answers. 

Two days passed. The usual business 
went through in the usual way. But the 

153 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


moment any bill or resolution championed 
by Belden, Speaker Garrett or one of the 
other members of the “big five” came up, 
Thomas Henderson Black voted “No.” 
The rest followed and the measure was de- 
feated. 

The anxiety in the House increased. 
Time was slipping away, and certain leg- 
islation laid out by the leaders must be got 
through some way. 

Tom’s happiness grew. As soon as the 
enemy was firmly convinced of the power 
of his band, he would demand the temper- 
ance bill. 

For the first time in three weeks he 
wrote to Allie Trosper, but it was a very 
humble letter this time. He told her much 
of his failures, and said nothing of this 
new move, merely adding: “My friend 
Burns, who is a most excellent fellow, has 
a good temperance bill that we have some 
hopes of. I am going to do what I can to 
help him get it through.” 

But Allie had been reading the papers; 

154 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


in fact, she had subscribed for the daily 
“Times” solely to get the legislative news. 
She was always watching for Thomas Hen- 
derson Black’s name. She wrote a hopeful, 
encouraging letter in reply. 

“Now you are getting ready for genuine 
work,” she said, “and I am positive that 
the mysterious opposition talked so much 
about in the papers is some of your doing. ’ ’ 

It was not long before the leaders were 
of the same opinion. When they became 
convinced that Tom was at the bottom of 
the whole thing, they sent for him. 

It was Friday evening. There were a 
dozen stanch party men in the room when 
he entered, well-known representatives and 
noted state politicians. 

“Mr. Black” — Belden acted as spokes- 
man — “we are convinced you are back of 
this move to defeat legislation, but can’t 
for the life of us make out what your object 
is. What do you want?” 

Thomas smiled rather scornfully. 

“You see, Mr, Black,” spoke up Garrett 

155 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


in a more conciliatory tone, “we have been 
watching you, and believe yon are a young 
man of great promise; and we are anx- 
ious that you should not spoil your future 
by opposing the wishes of your party. 
There are certain bills we are pledged to 
put through, and, of course, the members 
of the party must stand together. What is 
your objection to these bills?” 

“I have no objection to some of them,” 
answered Tom quietly. 

“Then why have you organized this bolt 
to defeat them?” asked Belden testily. 

“I have been voting against them,” an- 
swered Tom coolly, “because they were not 
brought up in their regular order. Other 
bills that were weeks ahead of them have 
been sidetracked or held back, and these 
pushed forward. I believe in giving every 
bill and every representative a fair, honest 
chance.” 

They exchanged quick side glances. And 
that was it! 

They explained to him that some bills 
166 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


were much more important and must be 
advanced on the calendar; and that some 
must be smothered in the committee, for 
the good of the party. They flattered, 
cajoled, wheedled him, and asked him to 
withdraw his opposition. They told him 
they wanted him to make the chief speech 
in favor of the Appropriation Bill. 

He took it all in with a quiet, inscru- 
table gravity, and asked no favors nor made 
any promises. Still, when he left, they 
were sure they had him “right.” 

But the next day when an attempt was 
made to bring up the Appropriation Bill, 
the motion went down with the same vote. 

Then the leaders got mad. Belden was 
on his feet in an instant, and in his bitter, 
sarcastic way denounced the opposition as 
traitors to their party pledges and enemies 
of the state. 

“And we are going to let the people of 
this state know who they are,” he declared. 
“We are going to lay the responsibility for 
the failure of this legislation on their 
157 


TOM HENEY OE WAHOO COUNTY 


shoulders, and so brand them as blunder- 
ing incompetents, traitors, renegades, that 
in no county in this state can they ever he 
elected to any office within the gift of the 
people. ’ ’ 

Several times during this speech he 
turned toward Thomas Henderson Black 
and shook his fist threateningly at him. 

It was time to speak. Tom arose de- 
liberately : 

‘‘Mr. Speaker. Fellow-representatives: 
I seem to be particularly pointed out by the 
gentleman from St. Louis as one to be 
branded. 

“I, for one, have been voting to delay 
action on these bills not because I am op- 
posed to the bills themselves, necessarily, 
but because they have been juggled out of 
their regular order. 

“More than four weeks ago Burns’s 
County Unit Local-Option Bill was sent to 
the committee of which the gentleman from 
St. Louis is chairman. Although fully a 
score of hills introduced later have been re- 
158 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


ported to this House by that committee, 
the County Unit Local-Option Bill still 
sleeps. 

“I am perfectly willing to let the ma- 
jority rule, but I want the majority to have 
a chance to rule. If that bill or any other 
bill is a bad bill, let this House decide the 
matter. Don’t assassinate the bill in the 
dark corners of the committee room. 

“I give the gentleman from St. Louis 
warning” — Tom brought down his hand 
emphatically upon the desk — “that neither 
his Home-Eule Bill, the Appropriation Bill, 
nor any other bill brought up here juggled 
out of its regular order will ever get 
through this House of Eepresentatives until 
Burns’s County Unit Local-Option Bill is 
reported and given a fair hearing.” 

It was a short speech, but it stirred up 
the House as nothing had since the begin- 
ning. The temperance members — and they 
really were in the majority — cheered tre- 
mendously. The others looked uneasy and 
worried. 


159 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Tom was busy the rest of the day con- 
sulting members and rounding out his or- 
ganization. He knew tremendous pressure 
would be brought to bear on some of the 
weaker ones. But, on the other hand, now 
that the fight was in the open and their 
demands known, many others joined them. 

The next day Thomas was absolutely 
amazed, when he picked up a daily paper, 
to see his picture in it. That three-min- 
ute speech had given him a whole column. 
He was described as the leader of the tem- 
perance forces, and a very skillful one, and 
mentioned as the only member who had 
fought the organization successfully. He 
found that the other papers had also de- 
voted much space to him, and in all of 
them, except the rankest party paper, he 
was mentioned in a favorable way. 

But Thomas was not puffed up. He was 
fighting for a law now, and not personal 
notoriety. “Pshaw!” he said modestly 
when Berry Bennett congratulated him on 
his leap into the limelight, “I haven’t done 
160 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


anything. That wasn’t anything at all. I 
just got up there and told them what we 
were going to do. ’ ’ 

The public attention drawn to the bill by 
this clash in the House would have forced 
the committee to report it, even if Tom’s 
ultimatum had not. The very next after- 
noon Belden arose and said in a highly in- 
jured tone : 

“Mr. Speaker: Since some of the mem- 
bers of this body have questioned our mo- 
tives in delaying this bill we wish to ex- 
plain why it has not been reported. From 
the first, we felt this measure was of such 
peculiar importance that it required the 
fullest consideration. We have sent from 
time to time for all the information we can 
get on similar laws, and have invited speak- 
ers who have studied the question to ap- 
pear before us. We expected to report the 
bill in due course, but since the gentlemen 
seem in such a hurry, we report it back to 
the House without recommendation.” 

Burns quickly moved that the bill be sent 
161 


II 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


to engrossment. Tom at once rose and 
seconded the motion and it quickly carried. 

But Tom knew the fight had only begun. 

That very evening one of the prominent 
state officers took him out to dinner, and 
during the evening undertook to show him 
how fatal it would he to the party interests 
to push that hill. That failing, he urged 
Tom’s own future, and implied that if he 
dropped the measure he w;ould be pretty 
sure of advancement. 

The state chairman of his party, two or 
three senators, most of the House leaders 
also interviewed him, all intimating that he 
would be ruined if he continued to fight for 
the hill, hut if he merely let it rest there 
would he something good for him. 

The hill had run its course on the cal- 
endar. The next day, Saturday, it would 
come up for final passage. Tom knew that 
on that day a great many members would 
be out of town. He unexpectedly moved 
that Tuesday afternoon he set for its final 
consideration, and he carried his motion. 

162 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 

That afternoon as he left the House 
Berry Bennett overtook him on the capitol 
steps, and in passing said in an undertone : 

“Black, better keep your eyes open. 
They are fixing something for you. I don’t 
know what their game is, but I ’d be mighty 
careful.” 

About seven o’clock he received a mes- 
sage from Cowley, chairman of the commit- 
tee on Constitutional Amendments of which 
Tom was a member, asking him to attend a 
special meeting. Unexpectedly a very im- 
portant measure had been referred to them. 
It was a proposed amendment to the consti- 
tution which would permit cities and towns 
to tax franchises. 

Tom was anxious to he at the hearing, 
and started at once for the committee meet- 
ing. He was so busy thinking of the meas- 
ure itself that he forgot entirely Berry Ben- 
nett’s warning. 


163 


CHAPTEE XII 


W HEN Tom reached the committee 
room, Cowley, the chairman, was 
the only one there. 

“Black, the rest seem to be late,” he 
said. “Suppose you and I go over this 
amendment and see what we think of 
it. You read.” He handed the bill to 
him. 

Tom spread it out on the table and began 
to read slowly. They discussed it, para- 
graph by paragraph, as he read. 

Directly, Cowley was called from the 
room, and Tom continued to read to him- 
self. He was interested. It seemed to him 
an excellent amendment. 

“Is your name Black — a janitor had 
opened the door. 

“Yes.” Tom looked up. 

“You are wanted at the ’phone down the 
hall, right quick.” 


164 





A' 




7 7 


TOM 


BEGAN TO READ SLOWLY 



-t ■■ ‘ >> 


> 




% ' 


A 


;v. 




]y ■ 

I , ' 


tt 


■ •' .'/ •*' ■ V 

- ' \ V ' • . i 


•••- V • .’•^' • 






w. 

^ ‘.t. I 


' * » 
, y 


. </ * 

. V-.- 


\ 


• -r^ % 

■' . - . 

V'V"‘l-s>V 


# • > 


- M' 


■-■ 'ii 

/■f ; ..^.■5 


'll 




,1 : ; 
.• . > 


• J: 


,■ V I 
« • • 


J* ■ 


\ ’ 

■ -4 


■ .‘ U’' \ 

. i . ' ' * ‘ ^ ■ 

■ i;* ‘ ■' ■ ■ '• 


' , I 


-■S‘ ■ ' 


' f 


< , 


J-v 




A 


, V 

% d ' i 


; 

■ *•' 'I 


I 

♦ . • 

. I ’ f ' I 


» 


:*\ V . . 


T', 

. k |i . 

■ f 


0 


,l_ 

■ -Tl 


; • ‘ -s^ 






' , , - v 'i- * • 

'.V'-v-:/' 

• V'.c ^•• 


' - ■/ ; 

« 




V, 




pw, > 

'■ *• S • 


•i t 









ii'> ^- 


^-r 

" • 


^ i« V , ' 

» ..1 - ; 

• ‘“v '‘’' ' 


*. % *4 • 

N ' ' ' 


M 




'i' 


- V* 


r ’. ■• , - 




• I 

• • I 


• ’ I 


r V. ^ ,y. ' . 


•' l' 


. ^ w 




r 




% .'M >\ 

Vt:* 


:.>V ‘ ■’ 

^ l;r'. 




M 


v-s v-s.t * : V^hK ' 




/ 

.’m' 


(1:V' 

^ V ''''.w* '- 

4^ ■ 

. ' • r W , 

t r » . <: 

•’. •■ • 


>• 


. 


>‘i-„ 

■■ I '■. » 

.-A'- 


■*3 




■v . : * '■ 




. I 


irf 1 . • i. - 4 \ 

I* > . ”•'*•• 

' . .' ' • • ' * 


■• t 


V • 


I 


' » I' 


■/ V . , 


Vw*. ♦ . ^ 





:■{ . 


4 , 




I* I 


' » , 




t. 


V •• 




' '.■ ;•»• ■ «.' ■ 

* , 


< , I 


t * 

\ 




’ I 


• V 


» 

,t-. 


■ ■ 


h ' 

■' 


4* 





T ; i ; 


■"H}. 


> V 


I . 




. ■■ 


. fv ^ 


. ' , ■• • - -*7 - ■ * 

, • • -^ . 1 


•, • >■•.7 - 


' '-f .1 

n*. 




»•'"■ ( ' 

V 






■'.’■■ ‘.i 


BSwir*" .'r '>*X''-‘ - 


*. . 


‘ If 

^ r 


■ t.l ]\ - • . 

■ '•* • • 
, .»'vv ^ (j4\i » 

» .' .. A . 


"S' ''■ ^^^«: / \- 


, < . 


^1 




' .' • :» 

4 . • - . * . 



•‘ J •.■ T i, ’• 'C • • . 

PA. • ,'.'';i.;-'- 


I X 


r 


V 


• ‘V 


’«'• ■ : 


:. . ^ j-wp'V 




> I 


.<•/. VMiiV;: •* A. 

< * A.,. . / -. 




/I 


N > *• <- 


\ , 


•*< 


W'*‘ 


. 1 


•a l^’ r ’ . , . . . - . . .'. 

^ ?* M . .,i ' ’ . V . . ' •• ' . ^ .'■ 

.•■'• ■ • - ■• - '• . ■^■/.^ ,• , , ‘/r, V ■ • ' ■■ V 

AiTi ^ >•'- \»li ' • '" -Vr • I ' 

^ • . . • •■/to -4 -. *-•' 

■ ' •. '■ 

iNiwtmflir ff S * i: *V-J • ip'ttJ 





L *’•' •• * ' 


• 


r-Tf ^ ' 

* • ■ V»^ : 

• * f, . 

■ . , ’*: .I'.r • ' ■ 

^ V ^ 1 t *fflA 


'A ■'; .'• • ■^ . ■ 


A.'. ' ' ..' 

• y ' 1/ .- -VlJ • l^t^X • • ■■* 


^ >1 


ny*M , •;. .' 

'* *■• ' rr • <*y 
' ' ' /-*•:■* . 



, ■ • " , ■■ w ' 



f 


. t * 


• • ■ ‘ i'*M 

* . > 




‘ '/>■ A* V 

:•. -* 

•kl • ' ' 


» *’ 




y^-yy'y--' 


^ ' *'^y * i' ' 4' 1 • • .•.' r' -• • '* 'V 

ti: ) ■ ■- ■ - ; ., .r .*'. )■ , /.>^^ ■ y ; > 'j* • ‘:j ■ . -i-.\ 

.1 . J'- -.ilL* 'S. - kl . r ft \. i I * ' .* ' • ft : .t * k * I \ » 



I ^ I’lV 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Tom hurried to the telephone. The mes- 
sage was not important and he was gone 
only a few minutes. When he returned, 
the bill was gone. He had left it on the 
table. 

In a few moments Cowley came back. 
“Well, how are you getting along with the 
amendment?” he asked. 

Tom was pale, for he knew the serious- 
ness of what had happened. “Didn’t you 
get the hill?” he inquired. 

“No, certainly not,” replied Cowley in 
surprise. “Haven’t you got it?” 

Tom told what had happened. 

Cowley looked at him suspiciously 
and remarked: “Well, I hope you can 
find it before to-morrow. I have to re- 
port it, and it is mighty ticklish work 
for a fellow to get away with — to lose a 
bill.” 

Not until he was halfway to his hotel did 
Berry Bennett’s warning occur to Tom. He 
stopped short and clinched his fists. He 
had been tricked ! 


165 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Thomas slept little that night. He was 
certainly in a most awkward position. At 
best, he would have to explain to the House 
that he had been careless in leaving the bill 
on the table. And if they chose not to be- 
lieve him, it would surely make trouble. 

The very next day inquiry was made in 
the House as to when the Constitutional 
Amendment would be reported. 

Chairman Cowley said he would have 
some sort of report to make the next day. 
Then he called Tom to the lobby and asked 
him if he had found the bill. 

“No,” said Tom. “Have you?” 

Cowley ignored the insinuation in this 
question. “I suppose you know that the 
corporations are very anxious for this 
amendment not to go before the people, and 
they would be willing to pay a good deal of 
money to have it lost?” There was a 
nasty, accusing note in his tone; and Tom 
had to turn away quickly to keep from 
striking him. 

But Cowley’s words increased his trouble. 

166 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


He knew they were true, and that however 
innocent one might be, any suspicion where 
money and corporations were concerned 
would ruin a legislator’s reputation. 

The next day Cowley arose in the House, 
and with apparent reluctance reported that 
the proposed Constitutional Amendment 
was lost, and asked for a committee to in- 
vestigate. 

The announcement created a great stir. 
A committee was appointed, with Belden 
as chairman. 

The investigating committee met that 
evening and summoned Thomas Henderson 
Black. He told his story. They listened 
gravely and asked a number of questions, 
then excused him. 

The next day there was a great hue and 
cry in the daily papers of the state about 
the loss of the proposed Constitutional 
Amendment. The measure was very popu- 
lar with the people and they were anxious 
for a chance to vote on it. 

The dailies, both in the news columns and 
167 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


the editorials, commented on the disappear- 
ance of the hill, and added that its defeat 
would he worth many thousands of dollars 
to the corporations, as it was now too late 
in the session to introduce another. It was 
also mentioned that the bill was last in the 
possession of Thomas Henderson Black, 
who had been such an ardent temperance 
advocate. 

While none of the articles openly accused 
him, the inference was plain, and it burned 
into Tom’s very soul. It was being hinted 
broadcast about the capital that he had sold 
himself to the corporations, and that his 
moral fight for temperance was all a bluff. 

The committee met again Monday morn- 
ing, and once more Tom was summoned. 

“Have you found the bill?” Belden 
asked. 

“No,” replied Tom. 

“Have you any evidence to offer that you 
did not purposely make way with it?” His 
tone was accusing. 

“No,” answered Tom hotly. 

168 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


“I think we are ready to report, then.” 
Belden turned to the committee. But one 
or two members advised a little delay to 
give the young man another chance to clear 
it up. It was too had to ruin his reputation 
if it could be helped. 

“Very well,” Belden assented. “Mr. 
Black, you have one more chance.” 

Tom went out without a word. He faced 
the destruction of all his hopes — ruin. 
And then to-morrow the County Unit Lo- 
cal-Option Bill would come up, and he was 
to deliver the chief speech in its favor. 
Could he face the legislature while under 
this cloud? And if he did, would not his 
words do more harm than good ? He knew 
that while Burns and a few others still be- 
lieved in him and would stand together, 
many of their fellows felt he was discred- 
ited, and would break away from his leader- 
ship. It was very doubtful if the bill 
passed. 

When the House convened at ten o’clock 
for routine business, Tom did not take his 

169 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


seat, but stayed in the lobby. He was sit- 
ting quite alone wrestling with bis difficult- 
ies, trying to think of some way out. 

A young fellow — a rather disreputable 
young fellow — who had some sort of 
clerkship around the capitol, came up 
and" sat down by him and said in an under- 
tone: 

“Black, I reckon you know they are going 
to jug you?” ' 

“What’s that?” asked Tom. 

“The committee is going to report that 
you are guilty and recommend that you 
he expelled from the House; they will do 
it, too. And they have big reports all 
ready for the daily papers: “Thomas Hen- 
derson Black, the Great Temperance 
Champion, Expelled for Selling Out to the 
Corporations. ’ 

“And say,” the young fellow leaned a 
little closer and laid a hand on Tom ’s knee, 
“I believe the whole thing is to choke 
you off that temperance bill. I’ll bet 
you a hundred dollars if you would prom- 
170 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


se to let that bill go by the board to- 
aorrow they would clear you as quick as 

wink.” 

Tom knew instinctively that this was an 
ffer — an offer from Belden and Garrett 
nd the rest. If he would just drop the 
ight for the bill he would be saved. If he 
id not, disgrace and ruin were ahead of 
im. 

He turned on the young fellow with a 
Dok that made him move farther away. 
■ Tell them, whoever sent you, that Thomas 
lenderson Black stands for that bill to- 
lorrow, and it goes through.” 

It was a bold declaration of war, and he 
id not know how he could make it good 
-at least, the last part of it. But he 
muld fight to the last minute, and trust for 
nseen help. 

He got up and walked the corridors of 
he capitol, his heart pounding and his 
rain seething. Wrath and disappointment 
nd dread fought together in him. To have 
11 his hopes crushed, the one bill left de- 

171 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


feated, and his good name ruined, and that | 
when success seemed so near! To save I 
himself he had only to keep still to-morrow, i 
and let the hill he defeated. j 

Many another has faced such a tempta- i. 
tion. And he remembered that the Great 
Legislator, the Giver of all laws, had once i 
stood on the mountain, and looking ahead 
had seen political power and position on | 
one hand, and the cross on the other. He | 

had chosen his cross. ! 

!l 

Tom turned back toward the Eepresenta- j 
tive Hall. He was calmer ; his mind ^ 
cleared. He would do his duty. He would 
fight the battle and let name and fame take 
care of themselves. Ji 

He slipped into his seat and began quietly ji 
to study the order of business for the day. 
A page brought a telegram and laid it on 
his desk. 

As Tom read it the warm blood suffused 
his face, and a great light and strength 
came to him. The message was from Allie 
Trosper : 


172 


I 

j TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 

j all know you are innocent. You are fighting 

; for the people and Him. All will be well.^’ 

■ As he left the building at the noon ad- 
journment a messenger boy thrust a note 
into his hand. It said : 

“Come to room 47, the Jackson House, at once. 
‘ B. B.” 

He started immediately, wondering what 
Berry wanted. 

The reporter was waiting for him, and 
locking the door, turned with quick, eager 
tone: 

“Black, I have been doing a little work 
on this case myself, and so has Miss Her- 
ron of the ‘News.’ She firmly believes you 
are innocent, and, of course, I know you 
are. We have learned exactly how it oc- 
curred, but haven’t enough proof to make 
, a case in court. You will simply have to 
take what I give you and use it to scare 
them. Bullies are generally cowards, you 
I know.” 


173 


TOM HBNEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


He briefly outlined the whole plot and 
gave what evidence they had collected — 
evidence that, while circumstantial, made 
the truth of the story certain, at least to one 
who knew the characters and motives of 
the men involved. 

Tom’s hopes rose. His fighting blood 
surged anew through his veins as the plan 
grew clear in his mind. 

“It will give me a chance. Berry — a 
chance to fight. It offers hope at least. I 

can’t^ — I don’t know how to thank you” 

He swallowed hard and tried to steady his 
voice. 

“Well, then, don’t try, old man.” Berry 
smiled seriously. “You don’t owe me any- 
thing,” and he gripped Tom’s outstretched 
hand. “I owe you more than any man in 
the world, more than you can guess. You 
have made me believe in clean, honest men 
once more.” 

Tom hurried away to his hotel to rest, 
and think out a plan of action. 

As he returned to the capitol at half- 
174 


TOM HENKY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


past one, Belden joined him at the corner 
and walked along with him. 

“Mr. Black,” he began in assumed sym- 
pathy, “you don’t know how sorry we 
older members are that this thing has come 
up. You are a young man of ability, and 
there was fine promise of a future for you. 
We would shield you if we possibly could; 
but you see the position we are in. We are 
responsible to the whole state for the integ- 
rity of the legislature. 

“Of course, the session will close soon, 
and it won’t be much loss of salary to be 
expelled now, but the name of it! It’s 
the sort of thing a man seldom lives down. 
And I am afraid, too, it will hurt the cause 
you have been so successfully champion- 
ing.” 

They had reached the capitol steps. 
Tom had not said a word. He stopped on 
the first step and faced Belden, and looking 
him straight in the eye said with meaning: 

“Mr. Belden, I want to see you and 
Speaker Garrett and Cowley and Bunheim 

175 


TOM HENRY OF WAHOO COUNTY 

and Winely, privately, right after adjourn- 
ment this afternoon.” 

“It will hardly be possible,” said Bel- 
den. “We will all be busy at that time.” 

“Very well,” said Tom indifferently, but 
narrowed his eyes and looked intently at 
Belden. “I have some very important in- 
formation for you five; but if you prefer 
that I give it to the whole House, all right. ’ ’ 

He saw a flicker of uneasiness flit across 
the representative’s face. As they reached 
the landing in the upper corridor Belden 
remarked : 

‘ ‘ I would like to accommodate you. Black, 
in that matter if it can be done. I’ll see 
Garrett, and if he can get off we will see 
you in my committee room right after ad- 
journment.” 

“Very well,” said Tom. He went in to 
his seat and began to put things in order 
for the supreme clash which he knew was 
to come. 


176 


CHAPTER XIII 


I T was almost time for the House to be 
called to order and the members were 
coming in rapidly. As Burns passed 
down the aisle Tom motioned him to his 
seat. 

“I want to see you this evening,” he said 
in an undertone. 

Immediately after adjournment Tom saw 
Belden start for his committee room. Bun- 
heim followed shortly, then, Garrett. Tom 
lingered in the hall a few minutes. He 
wanted all of them to be there when he en- 
tered. It would be a hostile crowd he had 
to face, a crowd of strong, trained, artful 
politicians, and he did not want to waste 
any nerve force waiting among them for 
the rest to come. 

Cowley was the last to go. Then Tom 
went to the appointed room. 

Speaker Garrett, heavy, important, sat 
177 


12 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


on the edge of the table in an attitude which 
suggested he had but a moment to stay. 
Cowley and Bunheim leaned against the 
window ledge. Belden, perfectly groomed, 
cool and smooth, sat by the table. Winely, 
with a bored air, drew patterns on a blotter. 

Tom closed the door behind him and 
faced the men. With his hand on the back 
of a chair he began in a quiet, tense voice, 
speaking directly at Belden ; 

‘ ‘ Gentlemen : I will try to be brief as pos- 
sible, and trust you will hear me through 
without interruption. 

“WHien I came here, very green indeed, 
I thought legislation was a matter of ma- 
jorities. But after I had introduced four 
good bills and they met such easy and un- 
timely death, I began to learn something. 
Since then I have made it my business to 
learn. Among other things, I have discov- 
ered that you gentlemen, with a few others, 
decide what legislation shall pass and what 
be defeated. I have discovered some of 
the ways in which this is done, a few of 
178 



J 


rm 


HE BEGAN IN A QUIET, TENSE VOICE 




‘•u ^ -sL '["* » \* *^'*1 

.»V< * i \V:-.-V^^ 

- ^ >• * 4 . vV. 

: ^ : ; 

* • 4 . . • 


•' 'Vs'- 

-V '•■ '; 

«. •»* . . 

’ • * V - ’ 


k . 




'. V, i -^’ ' i'-u -3 :- ■ vV 

;■• — :. ■■ 

■■'■': '■ ' ■' ‘ .• -■ ■-, *• ■ 

» > » • 1 '1 * t <«#■ *• ■ • jL . A * m • 

• * />■•- V 4 |R ••%'. .' ♦(! . • •• I XT’ 

■..- . /?S:^^■T■■:/^l>. '■ / , „■-• ;:V.v : ^ 

f » -5' \ ■ •'/ •% ' V “'i* • 't I't, 


' * 
*iS* 


, k • 

:’ • \ 


’ ‘X 


r 


f :•/ 


v'. I ■ ’ - ''■;>.. . ■' V .•'i 't.ri'''' ‘ - 

- f u . - 4 , •■••/. '“ » I,’ ^ • < ;.-^ 1 V 

i .•• ■. :•. '- ■; ' • ■ ' , .■•.■ 5 ->^iV.>>' " 

{ V. .'-''v ■ . ;_ .■>; ■ •'r,^':--,;' : ... 


' '■ ' . '/ , • ' ;• .Y ? 

> J / '• • ’. . •* N ^ ’“ 

^ *4 ' . ' A - 

^ ■ * ■ V ■ 

i' '#-.11 '*1’^ «r • .**'* ••* * ‘ * .',j^ 

» . ' •■' 'v^ “ - . ^ 




■'^vl-; V .*!v 

« ‘ 


'* '->•/* 

< « T 


%■ ^ 


' /v ‘ » 

, ’ ^ -c 


•■' '.h i|K A^'v^rw^ : 

.*V‘ 


'~V’ ■,/ -•.'iv’-xr ' ■’ - '' • 

■ {.' ■ ■ ■ -t- 'jS"- ’ ' xV^.' ■ ■ ’ vr? -V .a’=' i 

tr*! .X.* X* • r- . • • '^.W' :> St -^1 ,^«Wv V -,: 

: ■ ' '’j ilL * ^ .*•'■? *i’'. 

V ■ ■ v-.;-. ■ ' , : i.; 


Vi. 

•lo 


*v 

*: - • 

H 


■ /{ ■*♦**• ^ 
I 


V. ■; •■•> .^ '•■ . .•■ .. • 

%.:r' ' ■ ^ “'.-C; .»•■ . :•■ ; 

-. % . . . ^' • I • 

‘ ‘ I V 


'i. ' • 


-v •! .'•' %v*. ■ * ■ V ■ 

--r ^ 

■ . ’ ■’. ; - ■ 

■• ,v p; j# 



TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


which you would not be proud to have the 
public know. 

“Some time ago I discovered that you 
never meant any temperance bills to pass. 
While I talked for them, you only smiled 
and laughed in your sleeve. But when I 
organized the ‘dry’ voters and blocked your 
own bills, it was a different matter. 

“Then you decided I must be got out of 
the way. When you could not persuade 
me nor bulldoze me, you fell on a plan to 
discredit me. If I could be disgraced, that 
would break up my organization and dis- 
credit the cause. The details of the dirty 
plan were left to Cowley, but Belden knew 
what they were. 

“And here is how it worked: 

“Cowley called a fake meeting of his 
committee — only I and his special friends, 
who stayed away, were notified. Cowley 
and I were alone with the Constitutional 
Amendment. He made an excuse to leave 
the room. By a prearranged plan, I was 
called to the telephone. While I was gone 
179 


TOM HENET OF WAHOO COUNTY 


he slipped back into the room and got the 
bill. 

‘‘He then returned and pretended sur- 
prise; later reported the matter to the 
House ; and you, Mr. Speaker, appointed a 
committee headed by Belden to investigate 
me. 

“This committee decided to find me 
guilty and recommended that I be expelled 
from the House. Then a message was sent 
me offering to drop the charges if I would 
drop the County Unit Local-Option Bill. 
This bill is particularly offensive to Cow- 
ley and Belden, who are much interested 
in breweries and saloons. 

“You know what my answer was. 

“Now, gentlemen” — Tom narrowed his 
eyes and hammered his forefinger at Bel- 
den and Cowley — “that is my story, and 
I have the evidence to hack it up. 

“Mind you” — ^his tone grew warningly 
emphatic — “if that lost bill is not found, 
and if that investigating committee does 
not hand in a report exonerating me be- 
180 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


fore twelve o’clock to-morrow, I am going 
to lay the whole proof before the House of 
Representatives. 

“And I warn you that I have enough men 
ready to back me to give you fellows in- 
dividually and collectively an airing that 
will make your names a stench to this state 
for twenty years. 

“Further, I want you to know that the 
County Unit Local-Option Bill will not 
be dropped. I will not withdraw my fight. 
Our combination of voters will stand. And 
if that bill does not go through the House, 
not one of your measures shall; and if it 
does not go through the Senate not a Senate 
bill shall pass the House.” 

Tom turned and left the room. 

Burns was waiting for him in the lower 
corridor. 

“How do things look?” he asked sym- 
pathetically. 

“I do not know,” replied Tom. Already 
his doubts were rising. It was a tremen- 
dous force he had challenged, single-handed. 

181 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


If his plan failed to work, he was ruined, 
and it hardly seemed possible that all those 
astute leaders could be seared into doing 
his bidding. 

“But, Burns,” he said, “do not bother 
about me. Get out and work hard to-night 
and to-morrow to hold our organization to- 
gether. 

“And about the principal speech” — 
Tom’s voice was a little shaky — “you’d 
better he prepared for that. As things 
now stand, for me to speak would hurt the 
bill, and unless things clear up I will keep 
silent. But if they do, then I will speak as 
we planned.” 

“All right, Tom,” and Burns held out 
his hand and gripped the young man’s. 
“Eemember, I’ll stand by you to the end.” 

“Thank you.” And Tom hurried away 
to his hotel. 

He did not leave his room that evening, 
and scarcely slept during the night. It 
was twelve hours of the most terrible 
anxiety he had ever known. 

182 


TOM HENKY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


He had flung his bolt of defiance. All 
he could do was to wait and hope. As 
Berry had pointed out, the evidence, while 
convincing to one who understood the men 
and motives, was not such as would be ac- 
cepted before a court or a committee 
of inquiry. He felt that he had faced 
the politicians effectively, and that he 
had acted wisely in leaving them in the 
dark as to the evidence in his posses- 
sion. 

But if his threat failed to work, then they 
would show him no mercy. They would 
crush him relentlessly, expel him and 
blacken his name in every way possible. 
He would go back to his own county dis- 
graced, branded as a traitor to his state, 
a hired tool of the corporations. 

Several times during the night, when the 
gloom hung heaviest over him, when failure 
and ruin seemed certain, he got up and re- 
read Allie’s telegram: 

all know you are innocent. You are fighting 
for the people and Him. All will be well.” 

183 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


And lie prayed most devoutly that her 
words might come true. 

The next morning Tom shaved and 
dressed himself with unusual care, and 
went to the Eepresentative Hall a half hour 
early. The committee of investigation was 
to meet again that morning and he wanted 
to he in call should they send for him. But 
he was not sent for. 

As the members began to come in, Tom 
felt, rather than noticed, an unusual inter- 
est in him, but whether for or against him 
he could not tell. 

The fact was, the evening before, news 
had telepathically spread that Thomas 
Henderson Black, ‘ ‘ that peaked-headed son- 
of-the-Ozarks, ” had had a clash with the 
powers that be. And everyone was curi- 
ous to know what it was about and who 
came out victor. 

All during the morning — the morning 
that it seemed to Tom would never end — 
there was a current of interest around him. 
Members watched him, spoke to each other 
184 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


of him, and waited watchfully for the first 
sign which would indicate how the fight had 
gone. 

Ten 0 ’clock, ten-thirty, eleven, passed 
and not a word or sign that Tom’s threat 
had taken effect. His anxiety grew. He 
could scarcely hold himself still in his chair. 
He watched his hands constantly to see that 
they did not tremble. 

Item after item of the business on the 
calendar was taken up. It was eleven- 
thirty, eleven-forty-five, and still the busi- 
ness moved on. Tom’s heart beat harder 
and harder, his throat was dry. They 
would adjourn in a minute. His threat had 
failed to work ; he was ruined. 

Then, as the clock ticked nearer and 
nearer to twelve, Belden arose nonchalantly 
and addressed the Speaker. 

Tom’s teeth clinched, the nails ground 
into his hands, he scarcely breathed — was 
he going to move to adjourn? 

“Mr. Speaker, your committee appointed 
to investigate the disappearance of Consti- 

185 


TOM HENEY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


tutional Amendment No. 5 is ready to re- 
port. ’ ’ 

Tom sat cold and motionless as marble, 
staring at his desk, breathing tensely. 

“We are happy to report,” went on Bel- 
den, “that no member of this body was to 
blame, farther than for a little carelessness. 
The bill was discovered this morning in a 
drawer of the table in the committee room. 
One of the janitors happened to pass the 
open door while Mr. Cowley was in the 
secretary of state’s room and Mr. Black was 
at the telephone, and seeing the bill, sup- 
posed it had been left and put it into the 
drawer.” 

The room swam before Tom’s eyes. He 
could scarcely see the tall windows through 
which the sun was shining. His heart sang 
until the blood roared in his head like the 
sound of many waters. 

There was a slight, almost imperceptible 
stir in the House as a common thought 
swept from mind to mind ; ‘ ‘ Black has won. 
He has fought them single-handed and 
186 


TOM HENRY OP WAHOO COUNTY 


come out victor. He is a coming 
man, ’ ’ 

But Tom did not feel this strong, sud- 
den wave of public favor^ — not then. His 
sense of relief was too great. His good 
name was saved, and he had a clear field 
for his fight for the bill that afternoon. 

At two o’clock the County Unit Local- 
Option Bill came up for final consideration. 
Burns moved it pass. The motion was 
seconded. It was then open for discussion. 

Thomas Henderson Black arose and re- 
ceived the recognition of the Speaker. 

He began clearly and forcibly, hut had 
himself well under control. From the first 
he had the closest attention both of the 
members and the large crowd that packed 
the gallery. 

He had the truth on his side, and he 
proved it was the truth by definite ex- 
amples, by figures and facts that could not 
be denied. He was speaking for a cause, 
not for himself. He forgot himself, forgot 
his enemies, forgot everything but the bill, 

187 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


which was a righteous measure sorely 
needed for the protection of the homes of 
the people. 

A profound conviction gave force to his 
words, sincere emotion gave them fervor. 
There was no whispering, no reading of 
papers, no slipping away to the lobby this 
time. The attention was intense to his very 
last word. 

When he sat down the applause that 
hurst from House and galleries was the 
most enthusiastic during that Assembly. 

The bill put to a vote passed, ninety- 
seven to thirty-four. 

Tom started to slip out, hut hands were 
extended in congratulation from both 
sides of the aisle. And Berry Bennett, 
who had left his reporter’s desk and 
dodged around to the lobby, met him 
just outside the door and grabbed him by 
the shoulders. 

“Good old boy! Good old hoy! You 
floored them that time. Say, the reporters 
all want to see you this afternoon, sure. 

188 


TOM HENEY OF WAHOO COUNTY 


Your picture will be in a dozen papers to- 
morrow.” 

Tom thanked him, but got away as soon 
as he could. He was hurrying to a tele- 
graph office, where he sent this message: 

“Miss Allie Teosper, 

“Buckeye Bridge, Mo. 

“Victory for the right. Will be home Friday to stay 
over Sunday. Hope to see you. 

“T. H. B.” 

“I wonder,” he mused happily as he 
walked away, “if she will guess what I 
am going to say to her.” 

[The End] 


189 



' ' ' 4 

'/ ' » 




i 


« 





■ 

‘ ' t ’ 1 ' 

:VV * • 

. I 



' I •' * 


1 \ 

V. , 




t 


V 


\ 


Vj 

r-i' 

• i 




\ 

i 







f 




II f. 


u'* 


« ■ W 



> .1 

I I 


■I 


V 




f 




1 

I 


1 


, * 




' i 

4 . 


■ '■ t.l. ^ 

i .* /iv> 


: 3 7 " . ; 


'ioU* 


, t I 

f . ' » 


.<1 t* J-. 


J 





\ 



\ 

i 


i 



i 


'4 


?» 






\ 



( 



b 


\ 


k/. 




) 


/ 




I 



S 


s 



r 



c 



z 

V 



a'^^' 

0 

' .A 


rj 





0 ^ ^ t, s"' 

0 >» ^ vl 


s'' (aO '*sS<S-' « 

.-> s'*' '■^. ”^° V^ 

^'' V 

\\' ^ 





"c^ pV -^:^' 

'o^ k'^ ^ < "'• 

'•^ cy . ,.^=^ . ^ 

v/* 


■N . ■ ^ 


'-P ,S 




^ <s 



^ o c “> ' I , ^ 0 « )i ■* 'O' 

.'rx . ^2^ ^ ^ ^ ij ^ 


K^°<. 


•>' V 

o 0^ 

» 

> X^ > ->. - • y ^»viV\NoS^ > 

^ 9 I \ <i' r. o > \V" 

S' \ ^ 0 . '^y 0> ^ s ^ N \V 

' . c< >; ,J^'. ' ^. .• ^ R 5^ ^ ■ 

“* '^y<^//A G ^'<^ '^ ■ ' f:?^““"‘'“''^^ "1 yS" ^ ^dMj%. ° 

' - .\^‘■ ° 

A ^ 0 . k * .iP • -P '■'_/■ t s 

•I' 

- .r5..v\X>i^ ‘ 

> s’”, *^A * 3 N f ’ '#> * » 1 A " '<r1 

'‘'**^^ <3 C3i *1 

S^- //L o ^ 

v^ 

7: ^ 


7^7^ 2^ ' Z' 

f ■' ,A^^' ^ 

W <r S '^ . \X O 0 ^ V ^ , G^ • ''/ 

11,% %. rO^ 

^ ^ V <;^ C- 

^ * y , y ^ J ^ '^- 






, O, ,0"^ c » ’^ <• « ’‘' A\' .'■"« '^'o 

- ; %- v^ : 




</* '\^ 





, 0 NO , ^ ^ , v^« . ^ '^b 

>0o 




^ I ^ 

^ n N f; ^ j> ■^^ ^ 

<i r 


\ ^ 0 

■-.*•' ^ s * • 

% . ^SffliS ^ % 

A </> * ' 

■= 



^ A ,■?. 

. j a f, ^ ^ <vv 

\0^ . ' V ' t- 


^ (f ^ ff u^ 

,0 s o \V ' O.. 8 I \ ’^ 

// c* V‘ ^ ^ ^ 


i?- <? 



C' y -fr ^;' 

s ^ ^ / ^/-* 0 N 0 ■' V V 

' m^'' 

V. V-k/A'/'' 2atev -^v ^ 1^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 








